Loveless
by Fauvish
Summary: In an alternate universe vampires exist and they're out in the open. What's more important is that F4 are one of them. The jobless Ga Eul decides to work for the charming but also menacing Yi Jeong, who has plans to ruin Ga Eul's pure soul.
1. When the Light Leaves Your Eyes

Prologue: When the light leaves your eyes

New Orleans, 1956

The air was heavy with cigarette smoke, filling the lungs of all the people in the bar. The resident band stopped for a break and a song broke from the jukebox.

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He was sitting in one of the booths at the backside, enjoying the sight of girls wearing petticoats and high pony tails swinging left and right with every step they took. He took a swig of his bourbon and finished his smoke. Not that he could inhale the nicotine. He just liked the action.

"I ain't never seen a Chinese person in this bar." A high pitched voice came from his right. The accent was the rich southern accent he had become well acquainted with in the half year he had spent here.

"Well I'm not Chinese, I'm Korean." Though he knew she wouldn't know the difference anyway. There were still a lot of fucking racists here.

"Oh, but you're English is so good! You've been here for long?"

"I come and go." He said simply, exploring her young face, the blonde hair, blue eyes, the large breasts and her juicy calves. American women had a lot more shape than the Korean girls he was used to. It was a nice change every now and then.

"Ooh, so you're the mysterious kind?" She sat down next to him. "My name's Stacy. I ain't never spoken to an oriental before." He let the offensive term slide.

"Yeah? How do you like it so far?"

"I like it a lot. But what's your name?" She nudged his shoulder. Her perfume was nice, like a bed of fragrant flowers in summertime. He was attracted to scents more than anything. The right smell could send him over the top.

"Yi Jeong." He simply said.

"Oh I won't be able to remember that. It's too hard." A lot of things were probably too hard for this ditz.

Yi Jeong took a deep look into her eyes, giving her the impression she was all he could see this night. Stacy gazed back at him, mesmerized and he moved a little closer to her, bringing his mouth to her ear.

"Want to join me for a walk?" He asked, his voice low and filled with desire. He casually touched her arm as her breathing quickened.

"Ooh you're so cold, but sure!" They got out of the booth and Yi Jeong escorted the girl to the exit. Curious gazes fell upon the odd couple. People around here still weren't that pleased with cultural mixing.

On another night, and with another person, they'd might go after them to make sure no funny business would occur. But there was something about this guy that told them to back off. Besides, Stacy had always been a little tramp anyway.

Yi Jeong and Stacy walked side by side down the dark street. It was getting late and so people were either at home or drinking somewhere. The streets were pretty quiet.

"So, you're Korean? Isn't Korea like..at war?"

"The war ended a few years ago." Yi Jeong said, without sounding too annoyed.

"So did you fight?" She looked at him with her bright blue eyes. It would almost be a shame to see the light leave those eyes after.. but it wasn't time for him to feel pity.

"Not really." Yi Jeong buried his hands in his pockets.

"Why?"

"I have an allergy to the sun."

"Oooh, I ain't never heard of that before. Is it rare?"

"Not as rare as one would think." He stopped in his tracks and scanned the area. Not a soul around. The wind was so warm it felt like there was a warm blanket covering them. He grabbed her by the shoulders and directed her eyes to look at his.

Stacy peered into those dark pools. It felt like they were telling her to dive into them. To explore the universe they seemed to enfold. Her head was filled with his voice and her own thoughts didn't seem to have a place anymore. It was blank.

Lips met, a fight between teeth and tongues. Stacy steadied herself against a tree as he pushed her backwards. He kissed her cheeks, her jawline and moved lower, settling on her soft throat. Stacy let out a small cry of pleasure. She had never felt anything like it. His mouth was cold and it sent shivers through her spine. His tongue flicked the sensitive spots in a way she could never imagine. She closed her eyes in ecstasy, enjoying the sounds of is eager mouth and her skin being punctured by something very sharp.

There was pain, but it was pleasurable. She craved more of it, until she felt herself being drained. Her heart pumping fast, she tried to make out what exactly was happening.

He pushed her harder against the trunk, feeling her resistance grow with the second.

"Uhm." Stacy sounded confused, but he didn't respond and proceeded to drink. Stacy felt herself going dizzy. The pain had disappeared, but so it seemed had the rest of her senses. The outer world was gone.

They both fell to the ground, Yi Jeong didn't pause and pulled her closer to him. He was sure not to miss a drop. When her heart stopped, he moved away, wiping the leftover blood from his mouth.

Her eyes were now staring lifelessly at the dark but starlit sky. Suddenly he felt sorry. Sorry he hadn't spent more time on feeding. If he knew what fast food tasted like, he would've probably thought this were similar. He made a resolution to not be so hasty anymore. He also thought it was time to move on. American girls, he contemplated, don't make for such a good meal anyway.

---

Vampire 101

It's sort of part of the True Blood (HBS show) vampire verse, though I won't write about the original characters , but it goes by those rules:

Vampires have come out of the coffin around 2008: people know they exist.

Vampires are immortal, but they can die by a stake through the heart or sunlight. (So no twilight like vampy prancing around at daytime). They sleep in coffins.

There is such a thing as Tru Blood: fake blood that comes in every blood type. Each vamp has his own blood type preference, or a mix.

Vampires have their own place in society. But most people don't like them. On the other hand there are people who like to have sex with vamps, called fangbangers.

Vampire blood is addictive to humans and is sold on the black market.


	2. Scent of a Woman

First real chap, please review.. cos well, it makes me happy!!

---

1: Scent of a woman

I was born an ordinary girl. I had the regular life: two parents, small house, average school grades, a bff and a natural interest in boys.

There's not much left of that ordinary life. My parents are gone, Our house? Somebody else is living there now. I barely see my friend who is too busy studying and my interest in boys? Between school and work I simply don't have the time to like anybody.

So here I am, 23 years old and all I have is a sad story that nobody wants to hear. The sympathy only lasts for so long.. after that they just think you're out for attention, or giveaways. I don't want to depend on anybody to support me. I want to make my own livelihood.

***

Frustrated, Ga Eul crossed off another so called available job in the ad section of the newspaper. Jan Di sat down next to her.

"Why aren't you using the internet?"

"Because I had this silly idea that job hunting would be more fun if I could circle the jobs I'm interested in. I forgot the "crossing off" part is so annoying." She threw the newspaper on the table. "I give up. Four years of acting school down the drain since nobody wants me and now I can't even find a regular job. If this goes on I won't be able to pay the rent this month."

Jan Di got up and grabbed Ga Eul's laptop.

"Being pessimistic doesn't fit you. Let's look at the open applications on the web. That's where they place the good jobs." Jan Di searched for the website while Ga Eul stared into nothingness.

She knew she was pretty cute and that she could act rather well. Then why didn't her agent manage to get her any part except for as an extra every now and then? Was it because she lacked the necessary connections? She hated to think that that was the only thing that mattered.

Jan Di scrolled down the page, scanning for any interesting jobs.

"Oh my god. I've found it!" Ga Eul rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"PA, for some guy at a television network."

"PA?" Ga Eul asked.

"Personal Assistant."

"Ah.. no." She said resolutely.

"Don't say that. It's at a television network. You can get the right connections there." So even Jan Di thought she needed to get a better social network. Ga Eul sat up and peered at the screen.

"Let me see. What are the details?" Jan Di opened the next page took look at the job description.

"Oh." Jan Di's was looking a bit uncomfortable now.

"'Oh' does not sound good."

"Well..it's at KVC channel."

"KVC..you mean.." It took a while to recall what it stood for. "No!" Ga Eul slumped back into the sofa. "I can't work there! That's _their_ channel!"

"Come on.. they're not allowed to hurt people. It's in the law." Her best friend tried. "And they were human..once."

" But now they're vampires. Vampires who like to suck the blood of young maidens. It would be like sending me to the slaughter house. Like a pig!" She got off the couch and stalked through her little living room.

Her apartment was not much bigger than a cardboard box, but it was warm and safe, and she didn't want to give it up. Though if she wanted to stay, she should come up with a way of making a steady living soon. The unstable influx of cash by the small parts she was playing every now and then wasn't enough.

"Besides, don't they want like a.. vampire assistant?"

" Well, it says here they want somebody to take care of daytime business, so they prefer humans. But they should be available at night as well." Jan Di didn't seem to see the problem in that, but Ga Eul couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"When they feel like having a midnight snack right!" Ga Eul protested. "I can't do it." Jan Di ignored her and continued to look at the description.

" Omo." She moved her face closer to the screen.

" What?" Something in that sound made Ga Eul curious.

" The salary and benefits are good. I mean really, really good! Take a look at this." She looked at the screen and swallowed, hard. There were definitely perks to this job. With that salary she could move into a bigger apartment. And she would be properly insured as well.

Though Ga Eul had told herself she wouldn't go for the job interview, her mind kept wandering to the impressive salary. Her worries would be over, although there would be a new worry which was to avoid being eaten.

And so she found herself at the head office of KVC, Korean Vampire Channel, for a job interview. It was her first interview ever that was held at 10 PM, when it was dark outside. The KVC building pretty much looked any other building, except that most of the employees were incredibly pale and attractive. She almost felt ugly among all these people.. err vamps.

She was pretty sure she would be let down, since her credentials weren't the best in the world. Her typing skills weren't bad though, and people always told her she sounded really good on the telephone.

A lot of human girls were sitting there, looking way more comfortable than she was. One of the girls had a few bite marks in her neck, which she tried to hide in vain with a scarf. The sight of it gave Ga Eul goose bumps. If "being available as a light snack" was part of the job description, they must have put it in very small printing, because Ga Eul hadn't read it.

Finally she got called in and sat down in the chair appointed to her.

Three vampires were sitting behind some large tables, looking through some papers. Two men and one woman.

" Chu Ga Eul right?" The woman asked. She had long dark hair, smoky eyes and deep red lips. Ga Eul wondered if it was lipstick made out of human blood. Or human blood she had just sucked out of the last applicant.

" Ye." Ga Eul's voice sounded a bit squeaky and she desperately tried to keep her nerves in check. Her heart was beating fast though, and Ga Eul wondered if it was going to burst.

" I see here you went to the school of Arts, majoring in acting. You do know that this is a job as a PA right? Not for a film role."

" I know. I still want to pursue acting, but I will do my very best at this job if you hire me. I'm a very hard working and dependable person."

"But we need to know you won't run off when some acting opportunity comes along."

" As I said: I'm very reliable. If something like that happens I would give due notice. But it is highly unlikely anyway."

The vampire woman smiled, but it gave Ga Eul the chills when she noticed the sharp fangs.

"Well, honestly speaking, it's really not up to us. The final decision lies with the man you are going to work for. Do you ever watch our network?"

" Sometimes. When nothing else is on." Ga Eul shrugged.

"You are quite frank. I like it." One of the men said. He was wearing a shiny suit with a fuchsia shirt. Not something she'd expect from a vampire. The bright color made him look even paler.

"What programs have you watched on our channel?"

" Ehm.. that one variety show where they make parodies of human shows and music videos."

" Really? You liked it?"

" Yeah the one where they redid the Abracadabra one was hilarious." Except for the girl-on-girl bloodsucking at the end, that is. But Ga Eul didn't mention it. " And I've seen that show with the four guys, what's their name again..F4? Fangs 4?"

"Our prime time program! You know you would be working for one of them if you get hired?"

" Really?" She wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. Those guys seemed a bit on the evil side. These interviewers seemed okay, though one of the men was staring at her neck every now and then.

"What's the one thing you want the most from this job, miss Ga Eul?"

" Not get eaten." Ga Eul blurted out. The vampires laughed heartily. "Though I probably don't taste that well anyway. Mosquitoes hardly ever bite me." She added just to make her blood even less desirable.

"Well, I don't have anything else to ask. Your qualifications are here on the paper. Do you really speak English and Japanese?" The other man, older looking and wearing more discrete clothing asked.

"Not fluently, but I can have a simple conversation." And Ga Eul introduced herself in English and Japanese, not sure if it sounded anything like it was supposed to. Finally, she was allowed to go. They would let her know within this week.

She got as quickly out of the room without actually running and passed all the other applicants as quickly as she could. Walking through the building felt a bit unsafe and Ga Eul kept looking behind her to see if someone was sneaking up on her from behind. That's when she banged into someone.

"Yo little girl. Be careful where ya go!" A low voice huffed. Ga Eul flinched when she saw a white face only inches away from hers, fangs visible when he smiled. It was one of the members of the Fangs 4 show.

"Choisonghaeyo." She stuttered and stepped back. "I didn't mean to.." She looked into his eyes, which were a bit bloodshot. Still there was something seductive in them. Ga Eul knew vampires lured their victims with their eyes so she quickly averted hers.

"Woo Bin-ah." Another voice called. It had a higher, more youthful ring to it and Ga Eul wondered what face belonged to it.

As expected, another member of that show now stood besides the man who was called Woo Bin. She didn't think she had ever seen such a perfect face before, which seemed to convey eternal youth and ancient wisdom at the same time. He smirked at her.

" And who is this? Is she on your FB list?" What was that, Ga Eul thought. FaceBook friend?

" Nah. We only just met. Besides I think she's more your type. Right Yi Jeong-ah?"

" Well, she smells good enough." Yi Jeong grinned. "Cinnamon right? You smell like an autumn day."

With that last remark, Ga Eul´s cheeks started to burn. She wondered if that was because she felt flattered or just highly uncomfortable. She decided it must have been the latter.

"Oh, well I guess..I.. I have to go. Excuse me." Ga Eul excused herself and scurried away.

***

Woo Bin and Yi Jeong watched her leave.

" Why would a girl like that be here?" Yi Jeong asked.

"I think she came for the job interview."

" That's pretty interesting." Yi Jeong stuffed his hands in his pockets as they headed to the F4 conference room.

"So what happened to your old assistant anyway?" Woo Bin asked.

"Well I told Yang shiljang I don't like smokers. It taints the blood, so I had to let her go."

"I see. Not cool." Woo Bin followed Yi Jeong into the room.

***

"I understand. Thank you very much." Ga Eul hung up. She wasn´t sure what she was feeling at that moment. On the one hand she was happy she had finally found work, but now she had to be the personal assistant of a vampire. Was she putting her life on the line?

Jan Di didn't seem to be worried. She had been an advocate of vampire rights since they came out of the coffin and believed they were not as harmful as people suspected. Ga Eul decided to trust her friends judgment.

Luckily enough, she had to work on regular times most of the days, except on Saturday. Then she had to work from 9 PM to 5AM. Apparently he needed her by his side on Saturdays. Ga Eul found it weird, but she didn't ask anyone why.

Working there the first few days was pretty relaxed, Ga Eul found. During daytime, no vampires were present. Ga Eul acted almost a normal secretary, keeping his schedule, taking calls and taking care of his food. Of course, his blood consisted of AB negative Tru Blood and occasionally he ordered some other brand, which Ga Eul suspected was real human blood. She didn't dare ask about it further.

Her boss, So Yi Jeong, she never saw, as she clocked out at 5PM when the sun hadn't set yet. A part of her was dreading their encounter on Saturday night, but another was actually looking forward to it. She had seen his show occasionally that also aired on Saturday and had thought he was very handsome and charming (though dismissing it quickly on the grounds of him being a vampire).

The show was basically about the four members discussing all the newest trends in vampire life, including gadgets, nightlife, politics etcetera. The members were: leader Goo Joon Pyo, musical prodigy Yoon Ji Hoo, gangster Song Woo Bin and her boss, womanizer So Yi Jeong. Of those four she found Joon Pyo the scariest. Most of the time he looked like an emo with his over tendency to use eye liner and fishnet sleeves. Ga Eul had never liked the Goth look much.

She drifted off into fantasies about the things that could happen on Saturday night, both scary and exciting until one of the secretaries gave her a nudge.

"Ga Eul-sshi, can you give me the file that Han sajang sent over? I need to get some data."

Ga Eul nodded and handed her the files she requested. It really was just like any other job.


	3. Fight or Flight

Yi Jeong sighed. He had overslept, since the sun had set more than an hour ago. Sometimes, he didn't feel like getting up and wished he'd just stay dead. Reluctantly he pushed the lid off his coffin and stood up, albeit a bit stiffly.

The room was dark and dank and he quickly opened the curtains and window to let some fresh air in. Outside lay Seoul's buzzing nightlife. He couldn't wait to go out and have some fun for once, but lately he had been bored to death.

He had seen it all before. He could guess a girl's line before she spoke it, and even her blood type before he tasted it. Everything was so predictable.

When vampires had finally come out, he thought it might make for some exciting new times, but besides the fact that it was now far easier to get to drink real blood (they practically begged him to tasted them), a good drink-till-she-stops-breathing was now a lot harder with all that damned supervision.

When people "mysteriously disappeared" , people would point their fingers accusingly at the vampires. No, this whole "out in the open" thing wasn't much fun at all.

It was time to get ready and he stretched his body once more before heading for the bathroom.

A good hour later he was at the studio, ready for the live broadcast of his show. The other F4 members were already there, preparing. Yi Jeong greeted them, doing his special handshake with his buddy Woo Bin.

Ji Hoo sat across Yi Jeong with his eyes closed, humming an old trot song. Yi Jeong tried to recall the name of the song, but failed.

"What is that song called?" Joon Pyo asked before Yi Jeong had the chance.

"Sarangbakke nan molla (I only know love)."

"Love is such a useless emotion." Yi Jeong said dismissively. "I didn't think you had the time to busy yourself with such futile emotions."

" It's just a song. Besides, no one is entirely without love. Our hearts may not be working technically speaking, but there is still some metaphorical feeling in it." Ji Hoo replied vaguely, causing Yi Jeong to let out a snort.

"I've been living without love quite well, thank you." He and Joon Pyo laughed.

"You never know when it will hit." Ji Hoo said severely, but he didn't feel like talking anymore with his shortsighted friends.

Across the studio his eye was caught by an unfamiliar girl. He also noticed the slight change in Yi Jeong's behavior, who was sitting with his back to the new girl.

"Is that your new assistant?" Ji Hoo asked.

"Yeah." Yi Jeong answered without turning around. "This one has a special smell."

"Really? She doesn't smell so different to me." Joon Pyo added. "Just sweet."

"She smells intact. Like that purity people are so fond of." Yi Jeong grimaced. "I prefer my women a bit spicier though, more mature."

"That's what you always say, but I think you prefer the virgin types more. Remember that one girl you once talked about, Eun.." Woo Bin spoke from behind him. Yi Jeong jumped in his seat.

"There's no need for talking about what has been." He interrupted. Truthfully, he didn't want the others to know. He was already pissed off that he had once told Woo Bin in a drunken mood. Nobody should know of his private affairs.

The sweet air of innocence came closer and closer. He didn't have to turn around to know that she was only a few feet away from him. He could hear her heart pound loud and clear. She was nervous. She was very, very nervous.

***

Ga Eul let out an awkward cough to have her presence known.

"Uhm, excuse me." Yi Jeong smirked, but didn't move. "I'm sorry, I was told that I should go to you for further instructions."

It remained quiet for a few seconds, where they all seemed to pretend she was like air. Air they didn't need to use since they didn't breathe.

"Sit down." Yi Jeong finally ordered. Ga Eul took a seat between the four men, some looking more menacing than others.

The studio only had dim lighting except for the small set where F4 would have to take a seat in 15 minutes or so.

"What was your name again?" Yi Jeong asked sternly.

"Chu Ga Eul, sir." She felt like she was in the army.

"Ok so it's Ga Eul-yang. You can call me sir or Yi Jeong-sshi or something like that. I don't really care for the titles you humans use." Ga Eul had to suppress a frown. Why was he acting so haughty? Because he considered her food? Even so, he should at least look her way.

"So what can I do for _you_, sir?" She asked snidely. Woo Bin looked at her face and smiled. She was feistier than he had thought.

"You can start by getting me some Tru Blood AB negative."

"Understood." But where did they keep that stuff? "Uhm, where's the fridge?" Ga Eul asked finally.

"I just had the last bottle. You should run to the store and get me some. 5 minutes will be enough right?" He looked at his watch.

"5 minutes?" She asked incredulously. She didn't even know what kind of store to go to. Usually she just ordered it by phone.

"I'm thirsty. So hurry up!" He ordered. Ga Eul grimaced but then ran for the exit as fast as she could without seeming like a complete retard. All the while cursing him under her breath.

When his new assistant had scurried away like the squirrel-like person she seemed to be, Yi Jeong and his friends started laughing.

"Wow, you're already being nasty." Woo Bin chuckled.

"She needs to know just what it means to work for a vampire. Some verbal abuse is required from me."

"Just verbal abuse?" Woo Bin raised an eyebrow.

"Well, maybe more, but we'll save that for later." And he licked his lips as if he were already anticipating it.

***

10 minutes later Ga Eul rushed back with a six-pack of Tru Blood AB negative. She was still panting from the running when she placed the six-pack in front of her boss.

"Why are there six of them?" Yi Jeong asked.

"Well, I thought, maybe you all wanted one. "Meaning the others of F4.

"How very nice of you." Woo Bin showed his most charming smile. "But I'd rather drink O neg."

"B pos for me." Ji Hoo added. "And Grumpy here likes B neg." Joon Pyo snorted.

"I'd rather not drink that poison. It tastes nothing like the real stuff." He snarled.

"Well, maybe we can get you something else to drink?"Yi Jeong suggested before turning to Ga Eul. "Ga Eul-yang, what is your blood type?"

Ga Eul squinted her eyes and opened her mouth to retort, but resisted the urge in the end. Rather than being scared, she was more annoyed at the moment. They were acting like 17-year olds. Scary fanged 17-year olds. She was reminded of the fact that she was surrounded by them. Better not do anything to piss them off.

"I have sickle cell anemia." Ga Eul lied. "I don't think my blood would taste good."

"No harm ever came from trying right?" Yi Jeong teased further. "But if you don't want to, then get some more drinks for us. You remember the preferences right?" She nodded and turned around yet again.

When she was out of sight she imitated Yi Jeong's words.

"_You remember the preferences right?_ Next time I'll get you AB neg rat blood. Ooh, I hate those guys!" She grumbled.

It took her another shop visit to get all the right blood types and by the time she had come back, they had already started filming the show. Ga Eul watched from the side line as the four guys were talking about all things vampires could be interested in. The newest fashion (mostly black, red an purple) en good holiday destinations for vampires (for example the North Pole from the autumn to spring equinox).

When they were having a break, Ga Eul noticed some gadgets for people with sadomasochistic tendencies. After some hesitating, her curiosity won over her fear and she picked up one of the objects. It looked like a massage stick, but why did it have spikes?

"You wanna try it out?" Startled, Ga Eul turned around. Her boss was smiling at her.

His white fangs were bare and Ga Eul anxiously stared at them. Was he going to strike now? Did he forget about her sickle cell anemia? Ah fuck, he probably didn't believe her at all. Stupid Jan Di, why did she ever find her this job?

"Wh..at?" Ga Eul stuttered.

"The vibrator. You've been holding it very tightly, like you don't want anyone else to have it."

Ga Eul looked at the device in her hand.

"V..vvibrator?" Disgusted, she dropped it on the floor.

"What did you think it was?" Yi Jeong chuckled. "A hand-held blender?"

"But there's these spikes on it. That's just not right!" She squeaked, still pointing at the lifeless thing.

"Some like it. Besides, do you even know what it feels like to have something inside you?" Her eyes widened with that last remark and she was at a loss for words.

"You can't just..just ask things like that!"

"I guess that means no."

Ga Eul hated the way he grinned, she hated how he looked at her like she was some kind of bug or spoke condescendingly to her and she definitely hated how he made her blush every time he grinned, looked at her or insulted her.

"This is sexual harassment." She said severely. "If you d..d..don't stop I'll report you or quit."

"Ah well. You can do that, or you can just endure it and get paid well. I'm assuming you need the money bad or why else would you come to work for me?" When Ga Eul remained silent Yi Jeong gave a final smirk before he joined the other F4 members for the next shot.

Ga Eul huffed and crossed her arms in a form of protest. She resolved on looking for a new job next thing tomorrow. Finally knowing what kind of person he was, she now knew that there was no way in hell she could work for him. She would finish this night and that would be it!

The studio itself was filled with people. And there weren't only vampires. Humans, though most of them looking a bit anemic (or so Ga Eul thought) were running around so that the shooting ran smoothly. At 2AM, they were finished and Ga Eul was hoping she would get off work soon. She had slept most of the afternoon, but still she felt somewhat sleepy. Imagine the disappointment when she heard she had to escort her boss when he went clubbing.

So there she was, sitting next to the other PA's and waiting to be ordered around. The other girls looked at her suspiciously.

"Chogiyo."One of the girls said, meaning Ga Eul. "Why did he even hire you?"

"Eh?"Ga Eul answered. What a weird question to ask. "I just applied for the job and got hired."

"You're not even sexy.. I mean looked at your clothes." Ga Eul checked her own clothing. She was wearing a simple shirt, a short plaid skirt, thick tights and boots. Nothing wrong with her outfit, she thought. "And you have no shape whatsoever."

"Why are you saying all this?" Ga Eul asked, trying to not sound too insulted.

"We all know Yi Jeong usually hires sexy girls to be his assistant. So why did he now hire you?" Ga Eul shrugged, but then she started wondering about something.

"Did those girls have to do, you know, extracurricular activities?" The other girls started laughing, as if it were the most stupid thing to ask.

"Tangyeonhaji (of course)!" One of the other girls, Woo Bin's PA chimed. "Why else would they accept this job?"

"For the money maybe?" Ga Eul suggested, but that only caused more laughter from her female colleagues.

"So you're not planning to do.. you-know-what even though you have the hottest boss you can imagine."

"Yes." Not even denying that he was the hottest boss she could ever imagine. "I mean, I would never. I mean, they like..bite right?"

"That's the good part!" Woo Bin's assistant yelped. "Oh, we can't talk to you." And with that, the other girls left and Ga Eul was sitting alone at her table. She sat there, confused as hell. Suddenly she felt somebody taking a seat next to her.

Mentally preparing for another verbal fight with her boss she balled her fists and turned to face him. Except it wasn't So Yi Jeong, but one of the others, Song Woo Bin.

"I couldn't help but notice you sitting here by yourself, _baby_. Must be lonely right?"

"I'm perfectly fine here, thank you." She crossed her arms in defense as he came closer. He'd better not try anything funny.

"Well So Yi Jeong was asking for you."

"Why? Does he need another drink?" Ga Eul retorted.

"You're quite sassy eh? Be careful with that. It could get you.."

"Killed?" Ga Eul interrupted, goose bumps already formed on her arms.

"I was going to say "fired", but who knows. Just go to him before you find out, arasso?" Woo Bin smiled and left her again.

She decided she'd better go find her boss before she really lost her job. After all she was still in her probation period.

***

It was around five o'clock in the morning when Ga Eul was finally allowed to leave. She tried to stifle a yawn, but it was too strong to suppress. To think that she had spent most of the night doing nothing but sit down or get her boss drinks and entertainment (in the form of skanky looking girls who bared their necks to him). She could've just stayed at home, blissfully asleep.

After getting her coat from the wardrobe she headed outside. The cold wind whipped against her face and she pulled up her coat a bit higher. Fall definitely wasn't her favorite season, even if it was the meaning of her name.

"How do you intend on getting home?" An all too familiar voice came from behind her.

"I'll take a taxi." Ga Eul refused to turn around and crossed her arms instead.

"Such a tough girl." He scoffed, though the sound of his voice was smooth as silk. "But this city is full of dangerous people and places and it's not safe for a young girl to be outside by herself.. so let me take you home."

"Wouldn't that be the most dangerous thing of all to do, sir?" Yi Jeong now stood beside her and let out a small laugh.

"Maybe. Maybe not. You really think I'd let harm befall on my new assistant so soon after she started?" He asked, obviously enjoying their banter.

"I don't know. Maybe you're really hungry."

"But still, I'm the type that likes to play with his food." Ga Eul's eyes widened. Yi Jeong grinned at her frightened expression. "Keokcheongmal [don't worry], Ga Eul-yang. I do have some self-constraint. I only bite my employees if they give me permission. Let's go. I'll drive you home." At that time an empty taxi came into sight and Ga Eul put up her hand to halt it.

"It'll be easier for both of us if I just take this taxi." She quickly said as the taxi came to a stop.

Though Yi Jeong was dead, he still knew the rules of chivalry and opened the door to the back seat for her.

"Well , if you prefer this over my new Maserati then go ahead. See you next week." And with that the door closed with a thud.

Ga Eul let out a relieved sigh. Her heart was thumping so hard. He was really a scary individual. Scary and perverted. If she continued on like this she might die from stress. No she should quit this job and work harder on becoming an actress.

With that her cell phone beeped. There was a message. From her boss. The evil undead.

**I you are a bit freaked out and since I don't want to look for yet another PA I want to offer this: If you keep working here, I'll make sure you'll get a chance to act in a proper role. How about that?**

Ga Eul stared in disbelief. How..how did he know what she was thinking at that exact moment? Now she was even more frightened!

---


	4. Into the Woods

4

1754

There was a vicious pain in his arm as he felt himself being dragged over ground, causing a scraping sound. He blinked a few times, but his vision remained blurred and it was almost impossible to figure where they were taking him. He could hear laughter. A high pitched-voice and one much lower. Lower than his own or his father's even. It was a very strange voice, sometimes it sounded more like he was gurgling than actually talking. He hit his head on a rock on the uneven path and was knocked unconscious again.

The taste of iron in his mouth was overwhelming and he spat a few times to get rid of it, but to no avail. He could smell that he had been brought to some place inside, for it was warmer and smelled damp, like fungus and hay.

An unclear figure bent over his limp frame. He squinted so he could see the face clearer, but it was too dark. He could tell though – by the scent- that it was a woman.

"What do you want from me?" He stammered, trying to move but his legs were not complying. The woman turned away from him to light a candle. It was then that he realized blood had seeped down his forehead and into his eyes. He wiped it away as good as he could, but most of his environment remained vague.

"What do I want?" The woman laughed again. It was not a pleasant sound. She moved to him again. He could see something shiny in her hand.

He wondered what it was until he felt the sharp pain as his skin and flesh were ripped open. Blood was throbbing in his veins. What had he done in this lifetime to deserve such punishment?

"I want you to bleed for me." She said finally after a pause. Her long nail scratched his wound and he yelped out in agony.

"Why?" He asked when the pain slightly subsided.

"Why? Because seeing all that red fluid pouring out of you makes Yu Mi feel very satisfied. This is purely for my entertainment, potter boy. Do you think if Yu Mi got one of those little vases of yours Yu Mi could catch all the blood you are leaking and keep it in there?"

"Yu Mi, Stop it."

"Ah waeyo abeonim?"

"Because you're drifting off in your little world of games again. Move away!" The man with the low voice ordered. Yi Jeong felt the wrinkled hand touch his cheek, sticky from all the blood.

Their faces were so close he could see the old man. His eyes were light, almost bluish and Yi Jeong wondered if he was blind. The intensity of the way the man was staring at him made him think otherwise though. The dark gray hair was invisible under his hat.

"You're beautiful." The man said. "Even I can see that. And you have this air.. it is very special. I think it is time to expand the family, Yu Mi." He turned to the woman. "I would let you do it, but I'm not sure you can restrain yourself from drinking too much. So I will do it instead."

Strong hands pulled Yi Jeong closer. He could smell a foul breath. Something scraped his neck. First softly, but the strength increased until his skin gave way. Gulping sounds followed by swallowing. He felt himself being drained. His eyelids heavy, he chose to close his eyes and let the waves take him far away.

When he opened them again he was still lying a dark space, but he was covered under something. Half asleep he opened the lid of his coffin and stepped out of it. His stomach and head felt weird. He had been dreaming of something, but he couldn't remember what.

He checked his watch. 10.30 PM. It was time to start his normal ritual, which consisted of cleaning up, getting a meal, hanging out with his friends, finding some girls and eating again. Even vampires had to endure such a thing as routine. It was quite boring, but what could he do about it? He decided he needed to spice up his life. But there was nothing left in this world he still found exciting.

His phone rang.

"Oh, Ma shiljang. What, a variety show? Family Outing? You do know I don't just get a tan when I walk out in the sun right? I turn into ash." Yi Jeong listened to his manager's explanation. "Ah, night episode?" It was an interesting idea.

He had always fantasized about Lee Hyori. Was she as good looking as he had imagined? He bet she tasted good as well. Maybe he would have a chance to try it. Somehow the room seemed a brighter shade of grey and then another idea popped into his head.

"I'll do it. Don't forget to call my assistant to tell her she also needs to accompany me when I go there. If she hesitates, just offer her more money. "

He hung up the phone. It looked like excitement had just come his way.

***

Working for a vampire… was boring. Or so Ga Eul thought during her second week on the job. She found herself doing all the stuff normal assistants did. She played GoStop on the computer when nobody was looking, gave herself a manicure and counted down the minutes until she could go home. If it wasn't for those Saturdays with her creepy boss, it would have been the lamest job ever.

The reason why she was still there? The promise. The promise that he would make sure she'd get to act. And if she was entirely honest, something she didn't shy away from usually but had trouble with now, was that the wait for the next Saturday evening was thrilling. Knowing that there was a serious threat to her life (no matter what vampires said on TV, seeing them now had convinced Ga Eul even further that they were dangerous still), made her feel a bit more alive. Even though the rest of the work was dull.

Ga Eul opened her mailbox and was surprised to find a message from manager Ma, also a human.

**So Yi Jeong will be filming for Family Outing in Kangwon-do coming Friday. They were planning an episode with another vampire celebrity, but he is currently being detained for reasons I cannot write down here. So as a last minute resort, So Yi Jeong has consented to participate instead. He requires your assistance, so prepare yourself well.**

**Ma Hoon Yi.**

Ga Eul grimaced. Not at the thought of having to go Kangwon-do this Friday, but rather at imagining So Yi Jeong in a human variety show. His sense of humor would surely freak everyone out.

She quickly called Jan Di to tell her about the trip to Kangwon-do.

"So this job is not as bad as you thought eh? Ooh I would love to go to Kangwon-do instead of the school trip we're going on in two weeks." Jan Di chimed.

"Yeah well.. I wonder what my boss will do on the show. It's going to be so awkward." She frowned again.

"About your boss.. I read in some magazine he's a real lady killer. Better be careful." Jan Di hissed as if someone would be listening in on their conversation. Even though she already knew, it still scared her.

"What? Literally or figuratively speaking?"

"Ehm I think both apply, but I mean the second one. You'd better be careful he doesn't seduce you or anything. I don't think my high kick will do him any harm if I have to protect you from him." Ga Eul and Jan Di both laughed.

"Omona.. Jan Di-yah! Don't even think of it! I mean.. how could I? And.. no! Besides, he likes the slutty type. I noticed it when I was vampire-sitting this Saturday." All the girls, human and vampire alike wore those skimpy outfits and had way too much make-up on their faces. And all the "sexy" facial expressions they made. Ga Eul almost gagged thinking of it.

"Vampire-sitting? What is that?"

"What else would you call watching and taking care of four bloodsuckers? I felt like such a nanny." Well, sort of.

"Anyway. Don't ignore what I said. It seems like vampires have major…you know.. libido." Libido? So they really were sex hungry? Just like real men..

"Jan Di-yah! Why did you recommend this job to me in the first place?! It feels so gross now. I'll send you a text when I arrive in Kangwon-do. Maybe I'll be able to take some pics from the Family Outing casting." Especially from her favorite Dae Sung, Ga Eul though happily.

"Don't forget to send me some!" Jan Di said enthusiastically.

"Arasso! I'll talk to you later, ok? Bye!"

Ga Eul hung up. A few words kept replaying in her head. Lady killer. Seduction. Major libido. She shook her head to rid herself of all the byuntae thoughts.

"Andwae (no, you can't)! Chu Ga Eul be strong!" She mused to herself.

***

The week came and went and before Ga Eul knew it she found herself in a bus heading for Kangwon-do. It was still in the afternoon as the trip was long. Yi Jeong was also in the bus. Asleep. In a high-tech Samsung coffin. Ga Eul's eyes kept wandering to the metal monster. So the myth of sleeping in a coffin was really true. What would happen if she pulled the lid off? Would he like.. burn up or something? Or turn to dust? Manager Ma walked past her, sighing and complaining.

"Sometimes I wish I didn't give up my last job you know."

"Where did you work before, Ma siljangnim?"

"I used to manage a boyband, but I got tempted by the money . Aish, my pitiful life! Look at that coffin. I feel like an undertaker!" And with that he continued his strenuous walk toward his seat.

It took them a few more hours to reach the set, some old couple's house in the middle of nowhere. It had already turned dark when they drove over the bumpy and abandoned road and came to a halt where the crew of the variety show had assembled. Ga Eul got up and stretched her bones. Her body was aching all over from the long drive. She grabbed her back pack and followed Manager Ma out of the bus, while a few strong men hauled the coffin out of the bus.

The variety show had already started shooting for most of the afternoon. Ga Eul tried to look over the crowd to see if she could see some famous people.

"Who are you looking for?" Ga Eul jumped as heard the voice from behind her.

"Ah kkamjjigiya (you startled me)!" She squeaked before she realized who she was talking to.

"Why aren't you being formal to me?" Yi Jeong smiled.

"Choisonghaeyo. I thought you were still sleeping in your… bed…box."

"Yeah I usually don't wake up early, but apparently I have to prepare for this whole thing. So much for spontaneous actions in variety shows eh? "

Ga Eul nodded slightly, amazed at how they were having this casual talk.

"So..did you like..sleep well in that box?" She asked, trying to be polite.

"My neck feels a bit stiff, but it was alright." And he cracked his neck to emphasize his words.

"I don't know how you do it. It must be so stuffy in that thing!" Ga Eul exclaimed.

"Well it's a good thing I don't breathe then." He retorted.

"Oh.. right."

"Besides, I'm used to it now. You want to try it out sometime?" He asked in a serious tone.

"I'll just wait till I've died." Ga Eul regretted her words immediately and added: "of old age."

"Ga Eul-yang. You are quite funny. I'm not regretting hiring you." For no apparent reason it caused Ga Eul to blush as she looked into his eyes, two black pearls. They were cold, but there seemed to burn a fire somewhere in the distance.. was it the..libido? She mentally scorned herself for thinking about it and quickly looked away. Yi Jeong smirked at her nervousness.

"Omo, There's Yoo Jae Seok!"Her attention now focused on seeing a celebrity. "He's so funny!" Ga Eul squealed.

Yi Jeong walked past her as if he hadn't heard what she had just said.

_Fine, don't listen to me then. See if I care._ She thought bitterly. Manager Ma approached her.

"Ok they will soon start the shooting. Can you give the crew Yi Jeong's food so they can store it. I will take care of his sleeping place." He handed her a cool box.

Ga Eul carried the heavy load to the Family Outing crew. They were giving her weird looks and Ga Eul started wondering if she looked funny. She nervously pulled on a strand of hair until one lady approached her.

"Can I ask you.. what is it like to work for a vampire?"

"It's alright I guess. Nothing special." Well any boss could, hypothetically speaking, decide to kill his PA at any second. So her boss really wasn't so special, she had decided.

"Hmmm.. He is really handsome, but I still wouldn't work for him. I mean, who knows what he can do? I read somewhere they can do stuff like mindreading and mind control. That is just creepy!" Why was that blabbermouth ahjumma telling her all that? To freak her out even more?

"Ah, really? I don't think he did that.." Then she thought of the incident when she was in the taxi last Sunday night. "..to me." She finished.

"Better be careful." And the woman left Ga Eul alone with her thoughts. Did he really know what she was thinking at any second? She should better start controlling her thoughts. No, that would be impossible. She should just stay as far away from him as she could.

***

The moment Yi Jeong came into the scene, he felt all eyes were on him. Suddenly this place had turned into a freak show. Vampires had become a trend, an interesting new thing in a boring human life, something people took pictures of and posted on their profile sites. And yes, vampires were visible on pictures and had a reflection in the mirror.

He scanned the cast for his favorite member. The reason he had come on this show in the first place. She looked basic in her every day clothes. Pretty, but basic. Lee Hyori was like every other person after all. Especially in the way she gawked at him. Just like everyone else. Suddenly his reason for being here seemed to have disappeared.

The show's MC approached him carefully and explained to him the concept of the show while the cameras were rolling. Yi Jeong showed him his nicest smile.

"Yi Jeong hyung. Where are your..ehm fangs?" Jae Seok asked.

"I've retracted them, but I can show them to you if you want?" Actually retracting his teeth was pretty tiresome. It was always hard to hide your true nature.

"No no.. that's fine. We'll save that for later..or never." Jae Seok chuckled awkwardly.

They were first told to do a rock-paper-scissors game to decide who would stay at the house to prepare the stew and rice and who would have to go out to get food.

Yi Jeong cheated..by losing. He had heard the rumors of vampires being able to read minds and he was in no mood to confirm them. In the end he had to walk with Hyori to the market, escorted by a few people from the camera and sound crew.

Hyori asked him all kinds of questions about his vampire ways.

"It's so strange calling you "oppa", because you look so much younger than me. How old were you when you got err.." And she made a "hwuack" sound like his head had been chopped off.

"22, give or take a few years." He answered simply.

"How long ago was that? If you don't mind me asking."

"Not at all.. I think about 250 years ago."

"Wow they really weren't kidding when they said vampires were like a window to our history. What did it feel like to like in Joseon? Was it very different from now?"

"Some things have changed a lot and some other things haven't. " Hyori looked at him like she needed more explanation. "This area still looks the same. A lot of woodland and old houses. But back then us vampires could just do whatever we wanted. Since you didn't know we existed." And he gave her a smirk.

"Oppa! Are you telling me you've bitten a lot of people?" She asked cautiously.

"Do you want to know the truth?" Yi Jeong replied, with a telling smile.

"I guess not. So don't tell me. Just tell me if you can do any gags."

"Well I can use my fangs as olive skewers. Wanna see?" Hyori seemed to loosen up a bit after that and they continued their walk as Yi Jeong subtly increased his charms.

***

Ga Eul rubbed her hands together. How could she have forgotten her gloves? How could it be so cold in November anyway? She blew out a big huff of air and a white cloud appeared.

"Yah, assistant girl. Your boss called." The ahjumma she had met earlier from the variety show crew roared.

"Waeyo?"

"Look like he needs some of that fake blood. You just have to take that path over there." And the woman pointed to a dimly lit road half with rows of trees on both sides.

"Did he go that way? I thought he went there." She looked at another road, far less conspicuous.

"Ppalli ka (Go quickly)! You can't keep a vamp waiting!"And the woman handed her the coolbox with Tru Blood. That person over there will walk with you." Ga Eul found it a bit weird, but before she could protest further she was ushered by a tall guy to the road.

They strolled in silence for 15 minutes as the forest around them grew thicker. Ga Eul struggled with the coolbox, but the man never offered her a hand.

"So how long have you been working for that.. guy?" The man asked hesitantly.

"This is my second week."

"I don't know how you can stand it." He snarled.

"I..just do I guess."

"They've killed like thousands of people. Doesn't that bother you?" The guy eyed her angrily. He must have held a serious grudge against vampires, Ga Eul thought.

"I'm not sure my boss has killed.." But he didn't let her finish.

"Believe me, they all have. They're all the same. But I heard there are these girls that like vampires because they are said to be very good in bed." If Ga Eul hadn't felt awkward before, she sure did now.

"Well I'm not like that."

"Of course you are. Why else would you be working there? For the money?" He scoffed.

"Yeah, as a matter of fact. Look, I think I need to go back now. I think my boss will be back here before I arrive at whatever place he is." Just as Ga Eul came to a halt and turned to head back for the camp, he grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her back. Startled, she dropped the coolbox. It hit the ground with a loud thud.

"You'd better be off doing it with a guy. Believe me." In a reflex, Ga Eul kicked him against the shins –like Jan Di had told her- and started running.

It didn't take him long to recover from the pain and he followed her. He was much faster than her and Ga Eul started to panic as she saw him coming closer and closer.

"Ya, wait a minute!" He yelled.

On an impulse she decided she should better get off the lit path and head out and take cover behind a tree. She quickly turned left and tried to jump over all the rocks and fallen branches. Since she kept looking behind her to see if she was still being followed she didn't see the big pit in front of her and toppled right into it. She let out a short screech before she hit the bottom of the big hole.

Her body ached all over as she stood up clumsily and wiped the dirt off her coat. The hole was so big she couldn't even reach the edge with her hands if she stood on her toes.

"Oh great." Ga Eul sighed. "I'm such an idiot!" She dropped on her ass and looked at the night sky high above her. "Ah eotteokaji? (what should I do)!?"She whined. If she called her boss now he would be mad, right? Because he was filming? Should she try and call Manager Ma first? She tried his number but he didn't pick up. So the next one to call was.. So Yi Jeong. Would he forgive her if she called him for this emergency situation?


	5. Unfortunate Events

It was in the bag.. all she needed was some more gentle persuasion and he would have his Lee Hyori. Of course, she hadn't really showed him that she.. well wanted it badly, but he had confidence in his skills. By the end of the night he would succeed.

They walked back to the house where the rest of the cast was already preparing dinner. A gangly man who seemed to be out of breath and an older woman crossed their path, eyeing him as they passed.

"I just wanted to scare that chick, but then she ran off like some madwoman. It's not my fault if she gets lost in the woods." He said defensively.

"Be quiet or he will hear you." The woman berated the younger man. "I knew I shouldn't have helped you with that prank."

Yi Jeong could have listened in more if he wanted –he had great hearing after all-, but he lost interest. There were more important things to be handled at this moment. He was just about to speak to the object of his desire when his phone vibrated. Since they weren't filming at the moment he looked at the caller. It was the squirrel.

"What do you want?" He asked snippily.

"I'm kind of in a tight position." She answered softly, sounding embarrassed.

"Explain yourself. "

"Well, see I ran into the forest and then I fell in a hole and now errr… I can't get out." Yi Jeong let out a snort.

"Ah so you were the one that guy pulled a prank on?"

"Prank? I thought he was going to assault me or something." Ga Eul mumbled.

"So, what do you want from me?" He knew what she wanted, but he liked to hear it from her.

"Well, maybe you can ask some people to go and pick me up. I mean, you can't come yourself because you're filming and all, but I really don't want to spend the night here." She whined.

"And what is in it for me if I help you out?" There was a pause as Ga Eul contemplated the matter.

"Eternal gratitude?" Ga Eul answered innocently on the other side of the line, causing Yi Jeong to grin.

" Eternal gratitude.. well since I will live for an eternity it might not be so bad, but I'd rather you owe me a favor."

"Favor?" There was a hint of suspicion in her voice.

"Yeah a carte blanche." He congratulated himself for coming up with such an ingenious idea.

" I don't think that will end well for me." She blurted.

"Keokcheongmal Ga Eul-yang. You get to keep your blood and all. Besides, you don't have my preferred blood type."

"How did you..? "

"I'll come and get you, so stay put." Yi Jeong was getting tired from the stupid variety show anyway. It would be the first and last time he would participate in such a thing. Just to give a few laughs to some humans.. how degrading.

"It's not like I can go anywhere. Wait, you don't have to come and pick me up personally. I.." But he had already hung up. He walked over to the PD.

"I have to go for half an hour. That's alright, isn't it?" He looked into the PD's eyes, which started to become blurred.

"Oohh.." He answered dully .

"It's not like I eat human food anyway. I'll be back in time for the games." He promised.

"S..." Was the short reply.

When he was well out of sight he increased his speed until he found the abandoned box on the bumpy road. Yi Jeong languidly opened the lid and took one of the bottles. Removing the cap, he placed the glass bottle against his cold lips and took a large swig. He frowned. It still tasted artificial, no matter how many times he drank it and now it was too cold as well.

He threw the bottle on the ground and let his nostrils fill with Ga Eul-yang's smell. Even out in the open, he could smell her sweet perfume mixed with the scent of her young skin. She had definitely left her imprint on his olfactory senses. He walked back to where Ga Eul had headed into the forest a while back and looked around. The more he walked into the forest, the more her smell became mixed with the scents of the trees and mossy ground. He could still smell her though, faintly.

Ahead of him he could see a dark spot on the ground. It seemed to be the hole that Ga Eul had fallen in. He strutted to the location and peered over the edge. There Ga Eul was, blowing hot air on her slender hands and rubbing them ardently. He noticed how the moonlight was reflected on her coffee colored hair.

"Ga Eul-yang. Why did you decide to play hooky here?" He let his presence be known.

Ga Eul looked up with a start.

"Sir.." She began.

"You're happy to see me I know." He interrupted.

"What took you so long?" She whined. "It's freezing here!"

Even though it was dark she could see him smiling. The moonlight seemed to illuminate his glassy skin and sharp teeth. It sent shivers down her spine, making her feel very uncomfortable.

"Jebal (please), just get me out of here." She stretched her arm up, waiting for him to grab it and haul her up. She would worry about the carte blanche favor later.

Yi Jeong took his time squatting down, being careful not to ruin his new slacks with mud. He outstretched his arm. Ga Eul examined the fingers, pale but firm. Yi Jeong noticed her hesitation.

"If you don't want to, then enjoy spending your night here." Ga Eul could hear a trace of insult in his usually indifferent voice.

"Anieyo!"And she grabbed his hand with all her strength before he could pull away. His hand was so very cold and she tried lot pull back in a reflex, but his grip had tightened and he pulled her up, swiftly. He didn't seem to break a sweat when pulling her out of the pit. Ga Eul wondered if that was because she was very light or if he was just very strong. Her feet touched the edge and she tried to steady herself but lost her balance instead, falling forward against her bosses soft coat. She pressed her ear against his chest. There was no body heat whatsoever and no heart beat. No dugeun dugeun. Ga Eul didn't realize how their bodies were touching.

Yi Jeong couldn't help but to feel her human warmth. Even after the hours she had spent in the cold today, she was still much warmer than he was. To warm himself on her, it seemed would be an exquisite pleasure. To lay down with her, naked and just to feed of the warmth of her skin. Hold her firmly against his and take in her sweet scent. The fantasy alone caused the fabric of his pants to strain.

"You're enjoying yourself?" He asked seductively. Ga Eul looked up at his porcelain colored face. She saw the perfectly sculpted jaw line, mouth and nose. A soft gasp escaped from her lips. Quickly she straightened herself, but the tense air remained between them.

They quietly walked together. Yi Jeong seemed to know exactly where to go and Ga Eul prayed that he was actually heading for the set and not some place to dump her body after he was done. Done. Done doing what? Thoughts came to the surface, like air-filled bubbles. It was a good thing it was so dark, or he would have seen her blush for sure. What she had forgotten was that he could hear the thumping of her heart perfectly clear.

"Ga Eul-yang, do you have a boyfriend?" He seemed to ask it out of nowhere.

"Why do you ask?" She eyed him suspiciously.

"You just seem very inexperienced with men." Ga Eul gave him an appalled look. He returned her gaze with a sly smile. This guy was impossible to read. Was he just teasing her? Or was there more behind all his talks?

"Well excuse me for not throwing myself at your feet. If that's what you mean." Yi Jeong smirked again. She hated his arrogant look. He always looked so friggin pleased with himself.

"I guess you're the type that's waiting for that _special someone._" Adding sarcasm to those last two words.

"As a matter of fact, I am."

"You're so naïve. _Special someone_."He snorted. "In this world you only have two kinds of people, Ga Eul-yang."

"Really? _Do_ tell me more." Ga Eul imitated his sarcastic voice and gave him a daring look. She no longer even cared if he was her boss or a vampire. She hated conceited people the most.

"The ones that use and the ones that get used." He looked at the sky. "I wouldn't want to be in the last category personally."

"Are you saying I am?"

"I'm just saying, people who believe in things as true love and knights in shining armors will ultimately be used."

"By who?"

"By people the so-called knights, or anyone else playing into your little fantasy love ."

"Are all vampires this bitter?" Ga Eul asked. She was growing tired of the conversation, but there were still some things she was curious about.

"Live for more than two hundred years and you start to get some insight into human nature yes. And it's not pretty."

"So you weren't always like this?" Yi Jeong looked at the young woman aside him. She was quick to read between the lines and he didn't like it one bit.

"What can I say? I've always been bad." He grinned.

***

1754

It was already midnight. Where was she? Had she forgotten? Yi Jeong looked around the corner again. It was then that she appeared. Her pink hanbok rustled as she walked. He smiled at the sight of her: she was beautiful, the essence of purity. His muse, his love. He would profess his love to her tonight and then they could marry, like he had intended to since the age of ten.

_Marry._

Then reality dawned on him. He looked at his hands. Traces of blood were still visible and he quickly wiped them on his dark shirt. Just to be safe, he wiped his mouth as well before he stepped out into the poorly lit courtyard.

She turned around. He was expecting a look of happiness from her, but instead she looked frightened. She hastened towards him.

"Yi Jeong-ah.. how.. what.. what happened?" She asked, her mouth stayed open. He noticed the rising of her chest and then the soft shin of her bare neck. He could barely contain himself. Suddenly he realized he had made a mistake.

"Eun Jae-yah. I'm back." He chimed.

"But you've been gone.. for months! We.. I thought you were dead." He had thought that too, but nothing could actually be farther away from the truth. Dying was now actually harder.

"Well as you can see, I'm not." He mentioned as lightheartedly as he could.

She took his hand.

"It's so cold. What happened to you?" A single tear dropped from her eye. Yi Jeong watched the glistening drop with fascination. His new senses were overwhelming. His sight had sharpened and his hearing was amazing. All he could hear now was the throbbing of her young veins. They seemed to be calling to him.

"It's too hard to say. Don't make me. I just wanted to see you tonight. Were you still waiting for me?"

"Even when I thought you had passed on, I still came here. It was a habit I just couldn't seem to shake off." Eun Jae said solemnly, but Yi Jeong smiled.

"You waited for me." Yi Jeong hesitated before saying the next thing. He worried about the consequences, but finally he wanted to say the thing he had never said before. "Eun Jae-yah, I lo.."

"Yi Jeong-ah, actually I got married." She looked apologetic. Yi Jeong felt a big lump in his throat, making it hard for him to swallow. He looked around trying to find something to focus on. Everything was better than to look at her. He could not find the right words, so he just simply nodded. "I didn't think you'd be coming back. And you know my father and the troubles we're in. Everything was so rushed. If only, Yi Jeong-ah.."

"I understand." But at the same time his eyes became watery. A small tear formed and slowly made its way down.

"Yi Jeong-ah, are you bleeding? I can see blood coming from your eyes. Gwenjanayo (are you alright)?" Yi Jeong quickly wiped his eyes.

"It's just the light." Still avoiding her curious gaze. His ears were still full with her quick breathing and rapid heartbeat. Slowly the sadness started to make way for a new emotion. Intense. Primal. Anger. She had always known of his feelings for her, didn't she? And now she married someone else? So quickly after he had left. It had only been 3 months. Their love, was it so worthless in her eyes? He faced her again.

"Why do you still come here then? Does your husband know about this?"

"Yes. He knows. He understands."

"Who is it? Is it anyone I know?" It was Eun Jae's turn to look at the ground. Yi Jeong frowned. Then realization hit him, like a fist in his stomach. "No."He said resolutely.

She nodded silently.

"Not him. Anyone but him."

"It just came to be that way. Yi Jeong-ah, mianhae. If I had known, I'd never have consented."

"But hyung?" More tears trickled over his splendid face, tainting it with red stripes. It didn't went unnoticed by Eun Jae.

"Yi Jeong-ah, your eyes.. again." But Yi Jeong could no longer care. She had married his brother. Their love, she had thrown it away for his brother. The anger that had taken shape in his heart became overwhelming. He balled his fists, which were aching to hit something.

"And now? Are you two happy?" Eun Jae gave him a blank stare. "Just answer me. Yes or no."

"Yes. For as much as we can ever be happy with everything that has happened. He is a good man. You know he is." A small smile crept up her face, she hadn't meant to do it. It just happened automatically while thinking of her husband, but it was enough to trigger Yi Jeong.

He slapped her. He hadn't meant to hit her so hard. It was just to let her feel his pain, but the impact had sent her flying against the brick wall. He could see the blood flowing down her neck. She probably had a wound on her head. The smell of blood was overwhelming. He almost couldn´t resist it. Slowly he approached her, licking his lips in anticipation. What would she taste like? His conscience begged him to stop, but there was something else inside him. Something much stronger, something so hungry he was beside himself with craving.

"Yobo? Are you still outside?" It was his brothers voice. It was his family's house after all. His family's courtyard . The place they had often met, where they had talked so many times in the covering shades of the trees. Even though his family was near, they had never known. Except for his brother.

He could kill him. He could kill his hyung and take Eun Jae with him and turn her. He would never allow them to be together. He could make her his forever. The footsteps of his brother came closer and Yi Jeong prepared himself to attack.

A big hand tugged at his clothes and pulled him back. Yi Jeong swirled around and snarled, his pearly fangs visible in the moonlight. It was his creator. A punch landed on his nose. Yi Jeong grunted in pain.

"You've done enough damage here. Let's go." The vampire hissed.

Yi Jeong tried to struggle out of his creator's strong grip, but he couldn't. Even with this incredible adrenaline rush, he still was no match for this vampire. He was dragged away from the scene and quickly led them through the silent streets until they were far away from his old house.

"You fool. I told you: you can't go back to them ever again." His creator was scolding him. Yi Jeong kept his silence since he knew the man was right. This had been one big mistake. One he would never make again.

***

"Fine, don't tell the truth. See if I care." Ga Eul said cheekily after he answered all her questions with new questions and smirks. Yi Jeong wondered if she had forgotten who she was dealing with and decided to teach her a lesson. Of course it was for his own pleasure. Scaring her a little, increasing her heart rate and hearing her voice go up a few octaves were things that were gratifying to him. No matter how disturbing other people might find it.

With one movement, he slammed her against a thick tree and pushed her shoulders back with his strong hands. Ga Eul gulped for air as she anxiously looked up to him. The intensity of his gaze caused an explosion of butterflies in her stomach . She had no way of escaping, since he had placed both his hands on the tree trunk.

"Whatever you may think of me, I'm still your boss. So you'd better know your place." He hissed. His breath was cold on her cheeks, but she found her herself getting warmer with each passing second.

"I..I quit." She stammered. Ga Eul mentally slapped herself. She had definitely lost it. Why provoke him even further? "Don't hurt me." She whispered finally. At her soft words and flushed face his expression softened a little.

"Don't worry, I won't hurt you. Unless you really quit." He smirked again. "Or unless you beg for it." He licked his lips.

Ga Eul watched the movement, mesmerized. Their faces were only inches apart and he seemed to be coming closer. She pressed her lips together. What was he planning?

Owls were hooting, reminding Ga Eul of where exactly they were. They were close to the road. She could see the flatter surface if she looked to her left, something she couldn't do at the moment as she was petrified. Petrified of what would happen next, but also anticipating it. Her body was aching all over, aching for things she had never ached for before.

Yi Jeong looked into her fearful eyes. He thoroughly enjoyed the moment. Her warmth was addicting and the look in her eyes made it feel like the old days. Excitement had indeed come his way. He wanted to drink her blood, yes, but there was something he wanted even more than that. He wouldn't take it by force though. No, Yi Jeong wanted her to beg him to take it.

He let her go with a start.

"It's getting late, so we'd better go now." He stuffed his hands in his pockets and they continued their way back in silence. Ga Eul stayed a few steps behind him, letting her eyes wander over his back. She hoped he wouldn't notice, or did she?

***

Ga Eul walked around the set. Her head was in a muddle. Watching Yi Jeong from a distance he didn't seem to be any different from before as he conversed with the Family Outing people. They were doing a relay race, and Yi Jeong had to carry a tire to slow him down a little. He had the advantage of superhuman speed after all. Not that the tire made a difference. He still won.

She watched him intently. Hate welled up inside her. He was disgusting. A disgusting monster. He was.. he was.. Ga Eul tried to find the right words in her head, but she was so stressed out she couldn't concentrate. She could only watch him. She hoped her eyes would emit some kind of laser beam which would cause him to drop dead.. forever.

"Ga Eul-sshi, gwenjana (are you alright)?" Manager Ma stood beside her. "You seem a bit distraught."

"I'm fine." I can't let him beat me, Ga Eul thought. That stupid vampire is not better than me. I will get my acting job, become famous, earn loads of money and throw it in his face.

"Ga Eul-sshi."

"I'm just tired, Ma shiljang-nim." He noticed the dirt on her face and clothing. He wasn't sure what had happened to her, but it probably wasn't good.

"You can go to sleep. I'll take care of the rest." Ga Eul looked at him hopefully.

"Cheongmalyo (Really)? Is that really alright?"

"Yeah, don't worry. Just go to sleep. It's been a long day." Nothing had been more true.

***

It was dawn and Ga Eul woke up groggily at the sound of her alarm clock. She had been sleeping in the bus, because it was too cold to sleep in a tent and there was no other place she could stay. Manager Ma was still snoring blissfully. She looked over at his peaceful face and smiled. He was such a nice guy, so why was he working for such a jerk?

Ga Eul remembered the night, quite vividly. She could still remember his scent. Clean, but musky. There was something so feral about it. Just like his eyes. They seemed so dark when you only looked at them for a second, but the longer you looked the more a small universe was revealed. Was that how they did the so called mind-control? Did they suck you into their little cosmos, losing yourself forever?

It was scary to think about, but also exhilarating. She couldn't believe she was thinking like this. She was surely losing her mind already!

To distract herself from the disturbing thoughts she decided to focus on the thing she had gotten up early for in the first place. She took out her little hand mirror and checked her appearance. It wasn't bad. The girls in Family Outing never looked well in the morning either, so why should she dress up?

Ga Eul pulled her coat on and covered her head with a knitted hat, then went outside. The sky was still a bit grey. At the road she could see Jae Seok, Dae Sung and Hae Jin returning from the morning chores. She could see the black lines under their eyes as they passed. They all greeted her as happily as they could, but only Dae Sung stopped in his tracks.

"Annyeonghaseyo. You're So Yi Jeong's assistant right?" Ga Eul nodded shyly. "Ah you're so pretty!" His squinted eyes watched her happily. "If you ever want to come and work for Big Bang, just call me." And he handed her a little card.

"Ah, but why?" Ga Eul asked, flabbergasted.

"I like girls with a sweet smile, but maybe you're a bit too skinny. So if you want to work for us, be sure to start eating properly ok?" He gave her a semi-flirtatious smile. "Ooh, I'm so tired, I should go to sleep before we have to do the stupid breakfast duties in a few hours."And with that he left. Ga Eul stared at his back while nervously plucking on her hat. How could anyone be so happy-go-lucky and innocent looking? He was so totally unlike her stupid boss.

Ga Eul returned to the bus, hoping to find something edible so she could have an early breakfast. When she was inside the bus, she focused her attention to the heavy coffin. Apparently they had brought it back in last night. They had carried onto the set for some kind of show-and-tell where Yi Jeong had to present his sleeping place. But now it was back here. She had been sleeping so close to him. Had he seen her when she had been sleeping on the seats in the back of the vehicle?

Automatically she ran her fingers over the cold metal. Was he comfortable in there? Quickly she pulled back her hand. Why was she worrying over him? Her blood boiled at the nasty things he had done to her. Asking for a carte blanche favor, calling her a prude, shoving her against a tree and pretending to almost kiss her. He was a bad guy, she told herself. She shouldn't worry about the likes of him.

Ga Eul returned to her seat. Every now and then her eyes fell on the coffin. All sorts of questions came to mind. Did vampires dream? Why was he so cold? How did his body function?

"He's so weird." Ga Eul mused. "A weird and bad guy."

The road back was long and it took the whole of the trip before her preoccupation with her undead boss finally subsided..a little.

---


	6. Sleeping Forest

6: Sleeping Forest

Yi Jeong woke up that very night. He hadn't been able to score with Lee Hyori, since it hadn't been in the script. His little alone time with his assistant had been interesting though, even though she was predictable like every other girl. Well of course, 250 years had taught him which buttons to push. It worked for human girls and vampire girls alike. It should not even be interesting anymore, but for some undefined reason he did enjoy it now.

So when the next Saturday came, he enjoyed watching her movements on the set. She still looked uneasy on the set and was never sure what to answer to the crew. Actually, the only person she talked freely to was Manager Ma, his human manager. Calculating her every move was fun. It almost felt like the old days when he would single out a prey and attack her when she was alone.

The biting had always been the best thing. To suck up the warm blood and enjoy the tingling sensation it left on his tongue and in his throat. He wondered how she tasted. Usually, he found blood tasted the best when having sex. Would it be the same with Ga Eul-yang? He imagined fucking her, but right now he knew she was too much of a prude. Something needed to change. It was time to awaken her inner tigress.

After the filming (they had been talking about the best blood based cocktails, for alcohol was one of the only substances that still influenced vampires, though only mildly), they went clubbing again.

Joon Pyo had brought one of his vampire girlfriends, Dara, but he never gave her any attention. Instead, he seemed to be looking for someone else, but it didn't look like he had found that person yet.

Yi Jeong contemplated the personalities of his friends. Of all of the F4, Joon Pyo's personality was the most twisted. Woo Bin was always straightforward, Ji Hoo, although quiet and complex, always acted by a certain rules, like a simple algorithm. Joon Pyo was different, however. There was a paradoxical mix of aggression, naiveté, cunning and stupidity that made him unpredictable. And those kind of vampires were especially dangerous. Yi Jeong tried to analyze himself. He was not like Woo Bin, with his dead heart on his sleeve or Ji Hoo who was still a romantic. What kind of vampires was he?

"Yo, Yi Jeong." Woo Bin shook him by the shoulder. "Don't you think it's time to go out hunting again?" Yi Jeong looked at Woo Bin and raised an eyebrow.

"You've seen some good donors?" Yi Jeong asked, obviously interested. Going hunting with his chingoo was better than nothing.

"The placed is packed with hot blooded chicks, haven't you noticed? Or have you only been gawking at your virgin PA?" Yi Jeong gave him a shove.

"Stop your joking. Before the month is over she will have her legs spread in front of me and I won't even have to ask. "

"You need the whole month? What happened to your 5 second kill?" Woo Bin joked.

"You know I like to play.."

"With your food. Yeah, I know. Let's play with our food now. Kaja (let's go)." Woo Bin pulled Yi Jeong up and they started circling the dance floor.

There were definitely a lot of hot girls around. They scanned their possible preys with care, singling out the most desirable ones. And the ones most willing to be sucked.

Ga Eul looked at the duo from a distance while unconsciously biting her lip and holding her stomach. When Yi Jeong looked her way, their eyes locked and Ga Eul felt a knot in her tummy. What was wrong with her? She forced herself to look away.

"Ga Eul, are you crazy?" She scolded herself. "Why would I watch him trying to flirt with other women?" Woo Bin's PA walked up to her.

"Ah, they're busy again?"

"Yeah." Ga Eul watched the pair again. A few girls had come up to them to talk.

"Ah, with some luck we'll be off earlier today."

"Waeyo?" Ga Eul asked.

"Well, if they leave with some girls, we have nothing to do here anymore." The girl said gleefully. "Ah, finally a good night's rest." She stretched her arms and Ga Eul looked at the girls smooth neck.

"You don't have any bite marks." Ga Eul questioned out of the blue. "I thought you let him bite you."

"The marks disappear after a day or so, like a mosquito bite. You only need to wear a scarf for a short while."

"Oh, I see." Ga Eul nodded absentmindedly.

Yi Jeong and Woo Bin walked past them, both having a girl on their side. Yi Jeong shot a glance at Ga Eul and he grinned at her disapproving expression. He stopped for a moment and let go of the women to talk to Ga Eul.

"You're in luck, you can clock out early today." She looked down at the floor. Was she disappointed?

"Have a nice evening." She politely said. Yi Jeong smiled at her.

"You should get on the dance floor, Ga Eul-yang. Find yourself that special someone. Maybe he'll offer you a drink." Ga Eul bit her lip to prevent herself from talking back and then she watched as he disappeared in the crowd. She let out a sigh. Had she said too much? It was time to go home, she decided. After all, she didn't really like clubbing that much.

***

Woo Bin dropped the girl on the tiles. Two little streams of blood poured from the small punctures in her neck. Yi Jeong watched her chest rising. She was still alive, but only barely.

"Oh, I'm full." Woo Bin huffed. "For a small girl like that, she sure had a lot of blood in her." Yi Jeong lay flat on his belly and looked into the water. He touched the cold fluid with his index finger and caused a ripple where his reflection looked back at him, grimly.

They were in a swimming pool, because that was a place where they could easily clean up. His own snack also lay on the floor, groaning softly. She seemed to be having a strange dream. He had not been in the mood to drink a lot, so she should be fine in the morning. Woo Bin lay down beside him and also gazed at their reflection.

" What's wrong with you lately?" He asked after a pause.

"Nothing."

"I've been your friend for over 200 years. Something is up."

"Keunyang. Don't you find it all boring?" Yi Jeong sighed.

"Boring? Maybe sometimes. But I still like the taste of it. Don't you?"

"It tastes fine, but I don't know. I've been doing the same thing for so long now. I just want to do something different."

"Is it about that girl, that PA of yours? You've been even weirder after you hired her." Woo Bin asked as he examined Yi Jeong's face.

"It doesn't involve her directly." He simply answered.

"Do you like her?"

Yi Jeong dipped his finger in a puddle of blood and started writing Chinese characters.

"God no. It's interesting. The idea of taking away her purity is very interesting." He said more to himself than to Woo Bin.

"Are you going to kill her?" Woo Bin asked in a serious voice.

"I don't think so. Maybe. We'll see."

***

There was a new e-mail in her inbox. The sender? Manager Ma of course, but she knew that everything he said came from her boss. Her heart skipped a beat as she clicked on the new message.

**Ga Eul,**

**You've have an audition for an MV tomorrow at 4PM. It's for a new song by Loveholic with a fairytale feel to it. I'll send you the address later. I've attached the lines you have to recite. It's not a lot, just be sure to add in enough emotion.**

**Ma Hoon Yi**

An audition? Really? She would get to audition? She jumped up from the sofa as the laptop fell beside her, almost falling on the floor.

"Asa!" She cheered to herself. She lived all by herself after all. Immediately she ran to her closet to pick out a proper outfit to wear. An hour later she was done. She had tried on several outfits and perfect her make-up pallet for the audition. Instead of her usual pastel colors she decided to go for a red dress and more noticeable make-up. She wanted to pull off a innocent but sexy look, as if she was the tenth member of SNSD.

That night she could hardly sleep, twisting and turning as very possible scenario went through her head. She hadn't had an audition in a while, but she clearly remembered the disappointment that usually followed when she received the news that she hadn't been chosen.

_"Sorry, we're looking for a more mature look."_

_"We'd rather go for someone who is still in high school."_

_"You're acting is quite good, but your face is too sweet-looking."_

_"We want somebody who can sing and dance as well._"

Ga Eul groaned as the memories invaded her brain and made it go overload. Would she ever get to sleep tonight?

***

It was 7 in the morning as she checked her reflection in the mirror. Panda eyes! Big, black, abominable bags under her eyes. Eotteokhe? She looked atrocious!

It took half of her camouflage stick to change the dark color to a softer grey. She still looked like a zombie, but a less tired one. The red dress would probably brighten up her appearance, she told herself.

Work went by incredibly slowly. She kept checking the time while checking the fan mail. This was a new assignment had given her, probably since he was too lazy to check it himself. She scanned through the letters, some freakier than others.

Frankly, since she had seen the news about Taecyeon and his bloody PMS letter, she had become apprehensive of the content of the letters. Sending_ that_ kind of letter to a vampire wouldn't be a farfetched idea, now would it? That stupid fan might have just given others a good idea. Needless to say, she was opening the letters with two rubber gloves on.

Finally, at 3.00 PM she was allowed to go. She rushed to the subway already wearing her red dress. She'd have to fix her make-up a bit when she arrived though. There was probably not much of it left after the long work day and running.

A lot of girls had applied for the audition, Ga Eul found. She noticed a lot of the girls were either wearing pinkish cutesy clothes or very daring things. Suddenly, Ga Eul felt out of place and she felt her mood dampen. _No_, she reprimanded herself, _this way I stick out more. This is a good thing._

And she was right. She felt the approving PD's eye fall on her.

"What a nice face. And those clothes…you just gave me a new inspiration. As you may have noticed, we didn't elaborate much on the look, because we hadn't decided yet. We were thinking of a princess look, but how about a Little Red Riding Hood instead?" He asked his fellow assessors. "Wouldn't it make the concept more interesting than the usual princess look. It's not like our main lead is Prince Charming."

The others laughed, while Ga Eul stood there, confused. She had read that she had to play against a dark prince, who would wake her, but she hadn't thought much about that. The script was a bit vague about that part.

"I think she might be perfect."

She hadn't even read her lines yet. The female assessor seemed to think the same thing.

"Now, don't be too hasty. Let her read her lines first." Ga Eul obliged. She tried to lay her heart and soul in the few sentences she had to say. Since they couldn't decide right away, Ga Eul had to go home without knowing the results, but for the first time she felt assured.

A day later she got the call that she had become the lead in the new MV. Elated as she was, Ga Eul still felt something was a bit odd. It had been the weirdest audition she'd ever experienced and the concept itself seemed so vague. A castle ruin, an old curse and a dark prince who saves her. Ah, who cared!? Thanks to So Yi Jeong she had gotten her first real acting job. If he were there she would hug him, vampire or not.

***

The air was cold and it truly started to feel like winter. However, the tall pine trees were still a dark green and thick canopy blocked most of the rays of the weak sun. Ga Eul was freezing in her short red dress and thin tights, but she didn't dare complain. Instead, she just pulled the hood of her dress over her hair until they finally started shooting.

"Ok, Ga Eul-sshi, you're walking through the forest. You're a bit frightened ,but also curious like Little Red or Alice. When you come across the old castle, I want to see a look of surprise and awe on your face and utter "How beautiful."

Ga Eul followed the instructions the best that she could and wandered on the road. She tried to ignore the cameras and crew as she gazed around. The hood was still on her head as she was supposed to let it drop when she entered the castle. She could smell the mossy ground well and reveled in it, it seemed to be mixed with another scent. She looked up and noticed the sky had turned grey. The weather forecast had already mentioned it, but Ga Eul had been doubtful. Would it really snow today? It was almost December after all.

The castle itself was only a reconstruction and had no interior. That would have to be filmed in a studio. As she looked at the building, she tried to convey the sense of awe and curiosity as she debated whether to go inside or not. She let her hand rest on the old fashioned door handle and after expressing some hesitation, she opened it.

"Ok, cut!" He said. The whole scene had taken half an hour to complete, and they were all satisfied.

"Chogiyo." Ga Eul walked up to the PD. "I was wondering why the actor playing the dark prince hasn't come yet? Is he running late?"

"He will be coming in a few hours, because he only needs to do the night scenes. We're going to do the pond scenes next, so get prepared.

After the shooting of the pond scene was done, Ga Eul had a short break until the male lead would show up. Ga Eul had put on her thick winter coat and walked around holding a hot cup of coffee. It was the second time in two weeks that she was filming in the woods, except that in the first time she didn't get to appear before the camera. Here, the limelight was all hers.

The sky quickly darkened and Ga Eul watched a bus drive up the lane to the ruin set. Somehow the bus looked strangely familiar, but she got called by the PD to discuss the next scene.

They were going over the scenario: she had to run through the forest while being followed by the dark prince. Who was this mysterious prince, and as realization finally set in, she heard a familiar voice behind her.

"Oh I should have just kept my daytime job. Ga Eul-sshi, how is everything going?" Ga Eul turned around, feeling sick because of the impending doom. This could only mean one thing.. it was then that he magically appeared from the bus.

"Ma shiljangnim, why is our boss here?"She asked, already knowing the answer.

"Ah, he's your dark prince. Mianhae (sorry), he wanted to keep it a secret to surprise you." Pff, surprise, he probably wanted her to die from the shock. What was this all about?

Yi Jeong walked up to her, wearing his usual unreadable expression on his pale face. Ga Eul let out a sigh.

"I'm guessing you're not happy to see me."

"Dark prince, I should have figured it out sooner." She muttered.

"What?" Yi Jeong asked.

"Nothing! Nothing at all." She exclaimed.

***

Different predators had different tactics to get their prey. A cheetah would try to kill the antelope making use of its great speed. A pack of wolves would work together to get their moose. Pacific angel sharks with their great camouflage would surprise attack passing fish and a killer whale might play with its food for a while, hurling seal pups high into the air before killing them off. What an array of choices in order to feed.

Yi Jeong analyzed his own past behavior. Cheetah mixed with killer whale?

The cameras were on and Yi Jeong started his chase. Trees again. His destiny with his PA seemed to be centered in this naturalistic setting. He didn't have to act for his eagerness, nor did he needed to read the script to know her location. As always, his nose told him the way. It was as clear as her standing 5 feet away from waving a big red flag.

He followed the directions of the PD as much as he could and then he found Little Red at the big pond. She was looking scared. Was it real or was she acting? If she was acting, he'd have to recognize her potential. They spent a while gazing at each other, while with every step he took forward, she made backward until her feet were under water.

"CUT!" Immediately the expression on Ga Eul's face changed as the coordinator . She smiled, but he could see she was shivering from the cold. She seemed to indeed be a good actress. "Ok, that was great! Now Ga Eul-sshi, you will let Yi Jeong-hyung approach you and the scene will end when he places his mouth on your neck, as if to suck your blood again. Ok?"

Ga Eul swallowed. This was the first time she heard about that. The script had just said: _Dark prince approaches her. First she is scared, but then her heart is swayed and they hug._ There had been no part about blood sucking.. and what was that about again? Ga Eul cursed the vague script. How could they do this to her? She was about to step out of the whole thing, when the scene continued. Well, she could always scream if it was too scary. But could anyone help her then? Did anyone bring stakes?

Yi Jeong came closer and closer, never losing eye contact with the girl, his new project. She stood petrified looking at him, like a deer in the headlights. Suddenly they found themselves being only a feet apart. Yi Jeong raised his arms and held her by the shoulders, the red cloth was damp from the cold . He could feel how rigid her frame was. A snowflake landed on his arm and another fell on Ga Eul's hair. They stood there motionless.

"More passion from you hyung, and Ga Eul-sshi, slowly open up." The problem was that she couldn't. Or that's what she thought until she looked even deeper into his eyes. The little universe was laid open again. A cold breeze brushed against her neck. His lips were only an inch removed from her throbbing veins. He smiled at her distress.

"Ga Eul-yang." he whispered. "Once you admit that you want it, it'll be so much better for you."

"Want what?" She asked under her breath.

"That heart pounding, mind blowing feeling only someone like me can give you."

"I don't want that." He knew she was lying. Her body was screaming to be fucked.

His wet mouth touched her bare skin. He had the hardest time keeping his teeth retracted, because if he bit her now it would all be over.

A bolt of electricity went through Ga Eul, starting from her center and ending in her brain. She could swear she could feel his tongue subtly darting against her sensitive skin, causing her to see stars. Automatically, she grasped at his sleeve, holding it tight. He let out a small laugh.

Why wasn't she stopping this? She should push him away right that second, but why didn't she? The pulsating feeling from between her legs gave her the answer she didn't want.

She didn't want him to stop.

"Ok, hug her now." Ga Eul blinked a few times, Yi Jeong was still standing there looking at her. Had she just imagined the whole scenario? He pulled her in for a hug and Ga Eul let him, dazed as she was. She felt the cold air again, just like.. had it really just been a fantasy? His lips did not touch her skin and nothing strange happened.

"CUT. That's it for tonight. Well done everyone!" The PD yelled. Yi Jeong pulled away and smirked.

"Too bad you don't want it." He said nonchalantly. "It might make you a little less frigid."

The snowfall became heavier as they went back to the buses.

Ga Eul sat on the back seat, happy she didn't have to catch a ride with the crew member who had picked her up that morning to go to the shooting. Her car had been friggin tiny. The gladness only lasted so long though, when Yi Jeong also sat sown on the back seat, but at the other window side.

She remembered her fantasy and felt herself starting to blush.. How embarrassing!

"Ga Eul-yang, how would you describe me as a person?" With her mouth gaping open, she stared at him. What kind of question was that?

"Moragooyo [what did you say]?" She stammered.

"Just tell me what kind of person you think I am." _Omona, has he gone mad?_ Ga Eul thought.

"I.. I have to go fetch you some drinks." Ga Eul tried to excuse herself and started to leave, but Yi Jeong grabbed her sleeve and pulled her back.

"Come sit here." Ga Eul stared at him with wide eyes. "Ppalli!" He ordered. Ga Eul sighed deeply before she resigned in her fate. "I just need your gods honest opinion."

"And that won't get me fired?"

" Depends on what you answer of course."

"But that would kill the validity of the whole 'gods honest opinion' wouldn't it?" Ga Eul muttered under her breath. She realized then that his hearing might be so sharp that he would be able to hear what she'd just said. She watched his facial expression, but it seemed his usual indifferent face. "But why would you want to hear that from me? Does my opinion even matter to you ,sir?"

"True. Still, I'd like to get a human's point of view right now."

"Err, well.. I guess you're err.. a very special vampire?" She hadn't meant for it to come out like a question, but she had been too insecure.

"Special? Wae?"

"Well.. ehm you're like.. more human than I thought."

"Like how you have your own insecurities about how you come across."

"I'm not insecure." Yi Jeong quickly retorted. Ga Eul saw his raised eyebrow and quickly looked at the table. Her courage was definitely not with her today.

"Did I say insecurities? I meant like things you're not so confident about.."

"That's the same thing." Yi Jeong tried to sound cool, but he didn't like her responses. Apparently she was not very impressed by him. He didn't know why, but that did sting..a little. He wasn't used to girls talking about his negative points –if he had any-. They were usually all swoon and sigh over him. "Ah never mind, if you have nothing better to say."

Ga Eul looked at his face. He was obviously offended. A small smile crept across her face. She had definitely not expected this conversation. Seeing this different side of him was superbly refreshing.

---


	7. Heartbeat

The second day of filming was set in a studio, where they had recreated the interior of the old castle. Ga Eul wandered around and curiously picked up the fake antiques as the camera followed her every move.

She walked to the room where she was supposed to get cursed. The room itself looked a lot more drab than the others. Fake spider webs were draped on the walls like silk curtains and broken mirrors distorted Ga Eul's reflection. She looked at the curious object in the middle of the room, a spinning wheel.

"OK, cut. Let's do the close-up of the finger first, because Yi Jeong isn't ready yet." An assistant placed a red drop on Ga Eul's index finger. The camera zoomed in on her face and then on the red finger. Then, she dropped to the floor. Seemingly cursed.

"Oh, nice!"

The next shot didn't go so well though. Ga Eul had a hard time portraying the curiosity for the spinning wheel, touching it and then pricking her finger. She became more frustrated with every shot. The sixth time she had to touch the sharp needle she pushed her finger a bit too hard on the tip and automatically drew back her hand. She had actually pricked herself!

Because the shooting was now in a hurry, she decided not to say anything. That might have not been the best idea she later found. As she lay on the floor, her boss, So Yi Jeong appeared on the set.

"Perfect, keep on going." The PD encouraged. They did a few takes of Yi Jeong appearing from the dark. He stared at the seemingly lifeless body of his PA before he kneeled down beside her.

Her face was half hidden in the dark green shades of the old castle ruin and he gently wiped away the strands of hair that covered her face. The beating of her heart was quite overwhelming in his ears. He gently took her hand and held it up. Her index finger was stained with a crimson fluid and it wasn't fake blood like they had said. He could smell the iron quite clearly and immediately the processes in his head he had come to know well started taking place.

It wasn't an impulse one could easily fight. It was like trying to stick your finger into a hole in the dyke to stop the water from coming in when there were a hundred more leaking holes.

Ga Eul was frightened to open her eyes as she felt the cold hand enclosing her own. She should stand up and get away from him as quickly as possible, but instead she lay frozen. Her limbs were not listening to her pleas. And those pleas weren't very strong themselves. Something had been taking place inside of her lately. Something that was scaring the shit out of her to be frank.

She didn't like the influence her boss had on her. Yet, on the other hand, she couldn't step away from it either. It was like a novel she had to finish or a race she would have to see until the end. She couldn't stop halfway.

Yi Jeong took the finger in his mouth. It was scripted, so he was not improvising. But he wasn't acting either.

Tasting blood for a vampire was different from a human eating normal food. Vampires did not really experience hunger as humans did. They experienced a craving more like that of addicts and usually, when a vampire started drinking, he wouldn't stop. It took all the discipline in the world to restrain himself from drinking that last drop until the heart would forever cease to beat, because that last drop was the best. It was for that reason that not all vampires could sire new ones. They simply didn't stop drinking on time.

The blood of his PA tasted like she was: unrefined and untainted. It was not his preferred blood type, but it tasted nice. Fresh, like he had just been lying in a grassy field. He gently sucked, letting the taste fill his mouth with delight.

For the first time in a long while he actually felt good now. She made him feel good. It was a bit unnerving to ask himself why it felt so good, so he just pushed that question out of his consciousness.

The sensations of his soothing mouth covering her painful finger drove Ga Eul over the edge and she shot up. An explosion had taken place in her tummy and she felt a bit queasy.

Yi Jeong stared at his victim and let the finger drop out of his mouth. He licked his lips provocatively as he focused on her opened mouth. In a movement undetectable by humans. He pulled her closer and placed a kiss on her mouth. It was chaste, like they were only childhood sweethearts, but the impact on Ga Eul was devastating. She shrieked in surprise and fell backwards when he let loose.

"Ok cut! Great improvising from you guys. This MV is going to really be something. Let's go for the last scene.. Ga Eul-sshi you….."

***

Ga Eul huffed. Why was Yi Jeong driving her home? She had been in too much of a daze to refuse as he had dragged her away after the shooting was done. The MV had been shot and the crew was very enthusiastic. She remembered vaguely how the PD had told her she had great potential. How her gazes and expressions were very intense and how he would recommend her to his friend who was casting for a drama. Ga Eul couldn't be as happy as she should have been though. She knew that most of those "impressive" expressions had not been acted.

Ga Eul looked sideways as Yi Jeong nonchalantly steered his sports car on the road. He hadn't come with the bus today and manager Ma had not been there either.

"Why did you do that?" She asked softly.

"What?" Pretending he didn't know made her feel even more frustrated.

"Err..you know.." She started.

"No I don't." _Still playing dumb eh?_ She thought.

"Like.. kiss me like that." She finally said with her face flustered.

"It was in the script." He shrugged.

"N..n..no it wasn't. PDnim was talking about you improvising."

"Was he? Ah well.. did Ga Eul-yang enjoy it so much you're still with your head in the clouds?" She noticed his trademark smirk and it made her even more embarrassed.

"What!? It's not like that at.. at all!" Ga Eul cried out, her heart still thumping in her chest.

"Then..was it your first kiss?"

"That's not it either!" She denied, but quite unconvincingly.

"You're a bad liar." He gave her a knowing glance. Why did he always read her so well?

"So are you." She said wearily.

"Maybe." As Ga Eul looked at him and saw his amused face again. She swallowed hard before quickly turning her attention to the road.

"Anyway, I'd appreciate it if you didn't put me on the spot anymore. It makes me very uncomfortable."

"Really?" Was his almost naïve sounding reply.

"And.. and," Ga Eul hesitated. "In the future I would prefer it if you didn't surprise me by not telling me that you were also in the MV."

"It wasn't a pleasant surprise?" Yi Jeong casually remarked.

"It's one thing working _for_ you, but acting _with_ you is quite something else."

"But what could I do? They asked me a long time ago to star in the MV."

"So you knew when you entered me for the audition I would have to play alongside you?"

"Well, yes." He replied casually.

"Does that mean.." Suddenly the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. "I didn't get in because of my own talent, but because you asked them to hire me?"

"Does that make any difference? You got the part didn't you?" Yi Jeong didn't get why she was being so fussy all of a sudden.

"I knew it all went too easy. I should have known.." Anger started building up. "I knew you would do something like this."

"I told you I'd give you the opportunity to act." He defended himself, something he didn't like doing. Admittedly he had many wrongdoings in his un-life, but he didn't consider this one of them. He had done her a favor he knew she had wanted.

"I wanted to get a part because of my own talent and hard work. Not because you like to play around with me, making me uncomfortable whenever you can. " She snapped.

"Such a hypocrite." He muttered, starting to feel mad himself.

"What?" Why would he say something like that?

"The only reason you're still working for me is because you were counting on me doing you _this exact favor_. And now you're telling me you wanted to do it with your own strength. What a joke." He snorted.

"Listen.." She began.

"That's why girls are such a bother."He interrupted. "They are never satisfied with whatever you do. Whether you live in 1809 or 2009. It's always the same. Next time I won't do you any favors, don't worry." He focused on the road again and they didn't speak for the whole ride home.

***

It was almost morning when Ga Eul was finally ready to go to bed. Thankfully she had the day off, but things still bothered her. Had she been too rash? What had she been expecting when he had sent her that text? Maybe blaming him had not been the right thing to do, as she had never told him not to help her. She scratched her head in agony.

She spent her free day hanging out with Jan Di, who was going to the south for her school trip: it was basically a volunteer project to vaccinate children in foster care.

"We will be so busy, I won't have any time to play." Jan Di sighed. "Why did I ever go to medical school in the first place?"

"Because you were inspired by that mysterious man 4 years ago. The one you met on a rainy night." Ga Eul helped.

"Babo , it was a rhetoric question." Jan Di smiled.

"Jan Di-yah! I didn't think you knew such big words."Ga Eul teased. "Jan Di gave an embarrassed smile.

"Woo Young sunbae taught me last week. Anyway, I was thinking about that man a few days ago. Do you think that maybe.."

"Maybe?" Ga Eul repeated.

"Maybe that mystery guy was a vampire?" Jan Di pondered out loud.

"Why do you think that?" Ga Eul took a bite of her piece of ddukbokki.

"Well, I met him at night and he was so pale and handsome. It just got me thinking that maybe he was one."

"Did he try to kill you?" Ga Eul asked in a straightforward manner.

"No."

"Did he make allusions to killing you? Or give off a perverted vibe?"

"No.. and no. He was the perfect gentleman." Ga Eul snorted.

"Then he can't be a vampire." She said firmly.

"Things aren't going so well between you and your boss?" Jan Di had, for once, cleverly read between the lines. Though the look of disdain on Ga Eul's face was also a telltale sign.

"He's a creep, a womanizing, haughty, blood sucking , undead.." Handsome, sexy, mysterious, fascinating "..pervert." She spat angrily. He had stolen her first kiss and also drank some of her blood. She should be lucky she was still alive. Ok, so maybe he wasn't pure evil after all. No, he was bad. Bad for her anyway.

"Then quit." Jan Di offered as she stuffed her face with a spicy rice cake.

"I can't! Payday is coming up really soon! And he did get me an acting job."Ga Eul sighed. "And he threatened to bite me if I left." Though that wasn't the whole truth, Ga Eul kept it at that.

"What!?" Jan Di shrieked. "He said that!? Where is that KVC station? I'll go and talk to him." Ga Eul almost choked on the food.

"Jan Di, yah! Jugolle (do you want to die)?" She coughed. "He's like wicked strong and fast."

"Kurom (then), what will you do?"

"Keep working there and just ignore his abuse. I only see him once every week anyway." She shrugged. Though she had been seeing him a lot more with the shooting of the MV, which reminded her again of the kiss he had planted on her lips. She quickly shook her head to get rid of the thoughts.

Jan Di tried to convince her to leave a few more times that day, but Ga Eul knew she couldn't just quit anymore. Somehow she was reminded of a story her mother used to tell her.

"Ga Eul-ah! What are you thinking of?" Jan Di slapped her shoulder. They had been walking around in a mall, but Ga Eul's daydream had brought her to a different world. Someplace dark and alluring, but cold and haunting as well.

"Ah, nothing. Nothing at all." Ga Eul blushed. She had totally forgotten about Jan Di. They spent the rest of the day shopping, eating and going to the movies. All in all, it had been a nice day, but still Ga Eul could never seem to push her boss completely out of her mind.

***

That Saturday, Jan Di had left for her field trip and Ga Eul was once again forced to accompany her boss after they had finished shooting. This time, however, they didn't go to a normal human club, but rather a place only vampires seemed to frequent. Ga Eul was obviously worried about her well-being if she entered that place. Surely, she was surrounded by vampires most of the time on Saturday, but here there were probably a lot of vampires who were on the prowl. Or so she imagined.

Yi Jeong looked sideways at her frustrated facial expression.

"Are you scared?" He whispered.

"No way." Ga Eul retorted quickly. "Why should I? It's just a place to hang out, a vampire hang out." She repeated as a mantra.

"You do know that vampires can smell fear?" He remarked to make her feel more uncomfortable.

"You're kidding right?" Yi Jeong smiled.

"It's their second favorite smell in the world."

"So what's their favorite smell then?" Right after she asked it, Ga Eul wanted to hit herself for asking a question with such an obvious answer. It was blood of course.

"That would be the smell of sex." Ga Eul's eyes widened. He watched her expression with fascination. She was such a prude. Even the word sex made her shiver.

"Does that even smell?" She muttered.

"Want to experience that smell?" He suggested offhandedly .

"What!?" She spat.

"I can just ask around, I'm sure there will be volunteers here." He quipped as Ga Eul grimaced. "Or do you want me to do it?" Her attention shifted from the dazzling fangs to his equally shiny eyes. There seemed to be some amusement in them. It made him look even scarier and also more seductive. Ga Eul's heart was beating as if it was trying to keep up with the speed of light.

"No thank you." She said finally, trying to sound as if she didn't care that much.

Sex with him? God no, but what would it be like? Would it be good? Would she have a great orgasm like those women in those American shows were always bragging about?

She looked at his face and noticed he was watching her intently too. Was he reading her mind now? Omona.. what to do? Talk about something else?

"So, why isn't blood the favorite scent of vampires?" Which probably wasn't the best next thing to talk about. Ga Eul hated her own stupidity.

"Rather than the scent of blood, it's the taste we go for. Though the smell of blood combined with sex might actually be the best." Yi Jeong said bluntly. He thoroughly enjoyed her blushing face.

The vampire hang-out, as Ga Eul now called it in her head didn't fall short of her expectations. With all the chains hanging from the ceiling, the red lighting and leather furniture seemed to come right out of some bondage movie she pretended she had never seen.

Girls dressed in skimpy clothing were dancing on the stage while the men stared at them hungrily –literally and figuratively speaking- and she shook her head disapprovingly. Why would anyone want to be a vampire snack?

Yi Jeong moved away in the crowd and Ga Eul clung to him, feeling too uncomfortable to explore the place. He laughed at her nervous walk and jokingly berated her.

"If you stick this close to me, how will I find a new date for the evening?"

"I would go do something on my own, but those creepy guys keep staring at me." She said, looking jumpy.

"Maybe they have a cataract." Yi Jeong offered.

"Ha ha, very funny. Sir do we really have to stay here?"

"The others will come soon. You'll feel better then." Ga Eul highly doubted that.

She looked around and saw a guy approaching her. When she turned around again, her boss was no longer there. Not able to control her nerves, her heart rate went up with each passing second. The guy smiled at her, showing off his shiny fangs.

"Hey sweety. Wanna be my new FB?" His hair was dyed a light brown and his skin was definitely not as pale as So Yi Jeong's, but it didn't make him look less menacing.

"I don't have FaceBook." She replied, uncertain of what to do next. She looked around, but it was too dark to discriminate the people in the distance.

"You're funny." Ga Eul tried to smile, but got stuck in an awkward grimace.

"Thank you. I.. I have to go, my boss is waiting for me."

"Boss? Your master you mean?" Ga Eul gave him a puzzled look.

"Master as in.. No not my master." She took a few steps backwards until she felt a hand creep over her shoulder. She jumped and tried to run, but the arm kept her firmly in place.

"She's already taken." Woo Bin snarled. Ga Eul turned around and saw the rest of F4 had arrived. Joon Pyo pushed the guy to the floor and kicked him a few times.

"Ya, new boy, didn't I tell you not to come here last time? I can't fucking stand your face with that fake tan." He let out a small laugh and let his entourage carry the injured vampire outside. "They really need to be more selective as to who they let in here or this place will go down the drain." His eye fell on Ga Eul, who was still staring at the scary F4 leader. "Can you get out of my sight!? I don't like human girls glaring at me."

Ga Eul excused herself and ran off, trying to avoid eye contact with everyone until she saw Yi Jeong. He had already met some girls and was charming them. They were pretty looking, mature and probably human. When he looked at them it seemed like there was nobody else in the entire world for him. Somehow, that hurt Ga Eul more than she wanted it to.

_What is this? Am I jealous? No way, I don't want to be in their shoes. He's probably going to suck them dry._

Then, Yi Jeong looked at her. As always, he showed her his smile. She couldn't help but feel that that was his wall. By smiling he'd protect his heart, if it still worked that way. Hadn't it stopped beating long ago? Maybe he didn't feel emotions anymore.

***

He had noticed her looking at him a while ago, but had ignored it until now. It was time to see her now though. He excused himself from the ladies, having grown tired of their high voices and vapid personalities. Not that that mattered, seeing how he was never interested in girls for their conversational skills, but tonight it annoyed him.

Within a few steps he had reached his target Ga Eul.

"Care to dance?"

"No." She replied brusquely.

"Well, too bad then." He grabbed her hand and dragged her to the dance floor.

Grabbing her hips and pulling her closer to him, he danced to the beat of the song. Ga Eul stood frozen as she stared at his enticing face. His closed eyes opened again when he noticed she wasn't dancing along.

"What's wrong now?" He asked, looking slightly annoyed.

"I don't want to dance." But already she felt herself wavering as his hands were still placed on her hips. Slowly heat was starting to spread from between her legs. She wasn't able to control it and it felt both unnerving and exciting.

"Fine."And with that, he let go again. Ga Eul opened her mouth to say something, but closed it again.

Now that he was walking away from her, she felt alone again, alone with all these dangerous people surrounding her. Choosing the option that seemed the least worrying, she ran after her boss and grabbed him by the sleeve.

"D..don't leave me alone here." She pleaded.

"You do know I want something in return for escorting you the whole night?" Ga Eul lowered her head.

"Another favor?" Ga Eul unknowingly reminded him of the first one.

"That's right. And I want my first favor now." Ga Eul gazed at his smooth face. "You have to dance with me. I don't often dance, so when I do it's special. Ga Eul-yang wouldn't reject me twice, right?" Ga Eul nodded shyly.

He led her back to the dance floor. The song had changed to something more slow, with luring vocals and a good bass. It was definitely a sexy tune.

Yi Jeong placed his hands on her sides and pulled her closer to him. Ga Eul was at a loss as to where to leave her hands, but finally resolved on leaving them on his upper arms.

Slowly, their bodies came closer, to the point where she could feel his hard abs pushing against her chest. That's how she became aware her breasts were touching his chest. She tried to wiggle away from him, but he kept her firmly in place.

Yi Jeong felt her heaving and struggling. She was still so reluctant to be in close contact with him, but something told him it was more because she knew her body was reacting to it. He knew she wanted to have him. He wanted to tell her to just go with the flow, but seeing this form of gradual realization was interesting too.

The red and pink disco lights faded and suddenly the lounge was filled with darkness. Ga Eul let out a small anxious gasp, but relaxed when she felt her bosses' strong arms still surrounding her. As if in a dream she let her head rest on his chest, like she had when he had pulled her out of the hole. Still no heart beat. In his chest there was only eternal silence.

Suddenly the lights went back on and Ga Eul jumped back. Yi Jeong looked at her with his unreadable expression. The song had ended and she pulled away again.

"I need to go to the restroom." Without asking, he escorted her and waited outside the ladies room.

He stuffed his hands in his pockets as Woo Bin approached him.

"Better come outside, Joon Pyo is causing trouble again." Yi Jeong hesitated for a while but followed him anyway. A night out on the town with Joon Pyo always ended with fighting.

They walked out of the red interior into the dark night, where Joon Pyo was thoroughly beating up a tanned vampire.

"I told you to fuck off didn't I? Then why are you still here? Looks like I need to teach you a proper lesson in how to respect your superiors."

Yi Jeong tried to stop Joon Pyo from maiming the vampires face with a shard of glass when something metal was flung against his face. A silver necklace.

Yi Jeong recoiled in agony as a burning sensation went through his skin. Apparently, the ugly vampire had called for some backup. Woo Bin was already fighting with over 5 and Ji Hoo was nowhere to be found, so it was up to Yi Jeong to fight off the rest since Joon Pyo's crew had gone missing. He easily kicked a few out of the way and used his agility to defend himself from some silver numchucks which a vampire with gloves was holding.

Still the vampire managed to hit him a few more times until Woo Bin and Joon Pyo came to his aid. They ran after the fleeing vampires as Yi Jeong crumpled to the ground. He had never been much of a fighter, but this was downright embarrassing. Hit by some newbie vamps. What a joke.

"Sir! Kwenchanayo?" His assistant had apparently found out that he had gone outside. The street outside the club was now abandoned except for the two of them.

"It's nothing, just leave." He ordered. He didn't like it when people saw him weak like this.

She kneeled down beside him, looking worried when she saw the burns on his face.

"But you're hurt."

"Just go away." He snarled again, but she didn't listen.

"I can't do that. I'm your assistant. I have to help you, don't I?"

"Is that so?" He asked and she determinedly nodded.

That moment, he decided to do whatever came to mind. She was there, and whether or not she wanted to, he would take whatever he needed from her.

He pulled her closer to him until his firm lips brushed against her young neck as her knees scraped on the pavement. She could feel his tongue trail up to her earlobe and sucking it into his mouth gently. With all her strength she tried to move away from him -feeling awkward and confused- but his grip on her was like iron. His fingertips pressed into her back with such strength, she was sure it would leave bruises.

After her ear he nibbled the skin of her cheek, moving closer to her lips. Ga Eul wanted to resist, but the feeling was pure ecstasy and her resistance grew weak. She sighed as he suckled on her lower lip and then pried her mouth open with his forceful tongue.

Ga Eul's mouth was hot and wet, just like any other girls. But she tasted sweet and she hadn't been drinking alcohol. He bit on her lip, gently at first, but then puncturing the skin. Ga Eul hardly noticed as her own tongue rebelliously went to explore his eager mouth. It was cold, like he had been sucking on an ice cube, but it still felt nice.

With each second he became warmer and it was so good, until she tasted iron in his mouth and realized it must be her blood. She started protesting their kiss and he finally let go, looking a bit surprised. She could see the red drops on his face. Her own lips were starting to feel sore. She wiped her mouth and looked at the blood on her hands.

"You bit me." She said softly as she touched the little wounds on her lip.

"I guess I did." Sounding more indifferent than he had intended to.

"I helped you." She gave him an accusing look.

"Sorry?" He said unconvincingly.

"Don't say it like it's a question! Why did you bite me?"

"It just happened. It'll heal soon enough. You're pretty face won't be damaged so don't worry." He grinned. Ga Eul stood up quickly and brushed the dirt of her clothes.

"I'm going home."

"I'll take you." He offered as he stood up. His wounds had already started to heal.

"No need." At that moment she'd rather walk than stay with him. Not because she hated him, but because she was afraid of letting herself go and could never return to her former state as a consequence if she did.

___

a/n: Please comment so I know whether to continue this on ^^ Plus I like reading constructive feedback


	8. Red Thread

2000

Her mother had been exceptionally kind, kind to the point where her husband was always worried she would get taken advantage of. Now that her father had passed away, it had only been them two and Ga Eul often wondered if her mother would make it without the security her father had offered.

Still, they spent their days pleasantly enough, even with the absence of her father. Her mother liked autumn season the most and every year, she would take Ga Eul out to play in the leaves in one of the nearby parks. This tradition continued now that there was just the two of them.

It had been a day like that. They were tired from playing and sat down on an old bench in the park. Mother had bought a roll of kimbab from the street stall and handed some to her teenage daughter.

"Ga Eul, did I ever tell you about the story of the red string of fate?" Ga Eul tried to remember if her mother had ever told her about that one.

"Isn't that what connects two people who are destined to be together?"

"That's right."

"Isn't that great? I wonder to whom my red string is bound to." Ga Eul unconsciously tugged at her mother's scarf.

"Did I also tell you about the other side of the red string? The not so great side, that is." Her mother brushed a leaf off Ga Eul's coat.

"There's a bad side? I can't believe that." She shoved one of the kimbab slices into her mouth and chewed eagerly.

"Sometimes, we're not connected to the person we want to be connected to and other times the person we are bound to still cannot be reached. Do you understand that?"

"No." Ga Eul shook her head.

"The red string is something that will always be there. It can be stretched or tangled, but it can never break. That can be quite a burden if you can never truly be with the person you're bound to." Her mother looked like she was regretting something that had happened in the past. It made her wonder what exactly had happened.

"Were you bound to appa?" She asked, a bit apprehensive.

"I think so, but there were times I thought I was bound to someone else. That was before I met your father."

"What happened to him?"

"He left." She answered softly.

"Omma, are you still sad about that?" Ga Eul wasn't sure how to feel while listening to this story. Should she be sad for her mother or feel some kind of resentment because her mother was obviously thinking of some other man.

"No, but sometimes I wonder what happened to him. I know now it was a first love like we all experience. When I met your father, I knew he was the one I was supposed to be with." Her mother smiled at her with overflowing gentleness, as always. The young girl sighed. _First love_. When would she experience that?

"But he's gone now." Ga Eul sighed. "You can never be bound again?"

"No. Do you see what I mean? Sometimes fate plays a mean trick with you."

***

Her meeting So Yi Jeong, was it a trick of fate? Thinking back at the depressing story her mother had once told her, she couldn't help but wonder. Was he that person? Was that possible? Or was she just misinterpreting the sensations he caused in her as something much more valuable than they actually were?

Ga Eul hoped that what she felt really wasn't anything special. He was probably just playing mind tricks. Wasn't that what vampires were famous for? No, she wasn't connected to him! She was just being crazy.

She threw the envelope with the invitation to the MV screening/press conference on the floor. It would be her first public event ever, but her heart felt too heavy for her to look forward to the event. Wouldn't she see him again? It had been 4 days since he had kissed her and every time she thought about it, she became stressed out and flustered all over again.

But the kiss had left its mark, and it weren't the small punctures on her lip that had long since disappeared. She couldn't stop thinking about it during the daytime, and when she finally fell asleep she'd have dreams that she could barely remember the next day. They all had the same recurring theme though: the kiss was always present, in one way or another.

No, she had to keep her mind off that… incident. Even though she had just come home from work, she decided to head back into town. She quickly stood up and grabbed her coat from the rack when she noticed a golden envelope next to her shoes. It had been slid under the doorway.

Hesitantly, Ga Eul picked it up and turned it around before she opened it. Inside was a golden card She opened the card and admired the fancy lettering and embossed flowers as a white piece of paper fell out, which she ignored for the time being.

**You have received the Golden Ticket**

**Be sure to be ready on Thursday December 17th.**

**You will be picked up from KVC station for an exclusive visit to the "chocolate factory".**

**W.W.**

She picked up the paper, which had a black credit card attached to it. The text on the paper had a code on it and the text

**Usable only on December 17****th****. Will be canceled thereafter. Enjoy.**

There was no signature on it. Thinking of it, there was only one person who this could be from. What was he thinking? Trying to bribe her with money? She flung the two cards on the floor and opened her front door. No way in hell she would use it.

The next day she had brought both things to her work to give them to manager Ma.

He looked at her in surprise.

"Just tell him to take this back."

"What's wrong with it?"

"I don't know what kind of message he thinks this sends, but I can't be bought like this." The fact that she had stuck around mainly because of him offering her an acting job had been bad enough on her conscience.

"Ga Eul-sshi. This is Yi Jeong's way of apologizing. He has more money than he can spend in one lifetime, and though he has more lives in front of him, just take it."

"Apologizing?" Ga Eul cocked an eyebrow.

"This is as sincere as he gets. He got me an Audi after one incident I am, by law, not allowed to mention." He smiled apologetically.

"Well, apologies should be from one person to the other and should be meant. As I said, I can't be bought. " And she stuffed the two cards in the manager's hands before she stalked off.

The rest of the day she huffed as she thought of this whole ordeal. Who did he think she was? Did he think she didn't have any pride? Did he think she would forgive him for sexually harassing and injuring her if he just gave her enough money? She furiously pressed on the keys of her keyboard until the other assistants came up to ask her what was wrong.

At 4 PM a man dressed in a black suit came up to her desk.

"I'm here to escort you to someplace."

"I'm sorry, but I'm not going."

"He expected you would say such a thing, but he told me to tell you it's not an apology. It's the second favor you have to do for him."

"Like he had to do a lot for that favor I owed him." Ga Eul said under her breath. Though now the prospect of going with the chauffeur seemed a lot more tempting. If she had to do it because she it was a favor to him, she could at least take a look. It wasn't like she would bring along the credit card.

***

The car stopped in front of a luxurious mall Ga Eul had never dared to enter. The chauffeur led the way to the first shop on their list. The attendants treated her as if she were royalty and for the next hour she felt like she was a different person whatsoever.

At the end, her favorite items were a short strapless black bow dress by Karen Millen (.com/Bow-dress/Dresses/karen-millen/fcp-product/903000053522) and black pumps by Jimmy Choo and a matching bag. She looked at them lovingly. She had never been in the position to buy such expensive clothing and today would be no different. For a moment she regretted giving the credit card back, but the angel on the other shoulder told her it was a good thing. Nothing good ever came out of being shallow. Still, she sighed again.

"Can we go now?" She asked the driver. "This feels more like torture."

"Why?"

"Because I'm not going to buy these things obviously." She tried her best not to pout.

"But they're already bought." The chauffeur said matter-of-factly.

"Sorry?" Somehow she should've known he'd do something like that.

"Our boss told me you had a sort of Midas touch: everything you touched would be yours. Well, the things that suited you."

"I can't do that!" She yelped.

"Aghasshi, just take them. I don't want him to get mad at me for not being able to persuade you. You don't want me to get hurt now do you?" Ga Eul frowned at the driver's emotional blackmail. Where did he hire such people?

***

She dropped on the couch as the paper shopping bags fell next to her feet. She felt cheap. Why did she have to accept all the clothes? Now it really seemed as if she had forgiven him. In a way, she was now his private whore.

She called Jan Di, but she got the voicemail instead. Desperate to consult someone she called the next person that came to mind.

"Unnie! Can we meet later tonight? I need to get out of this house."

"Ya, Ga Eul! You sound like your dog just died. Shall we go out to eat some chicken feet?" Ga Eul made a face. Chicken feet were definitely not her favorite dish, but she didn't want to say that.

" Sure."

"And then we can go and sing. I wonder if Bo Beep Bo Beep is out yet.. I've already bought the kitty tail. You can have one too if you like." Her unnie rambled enthusiastically.

"That's alright. I don't need to have one."

"I'll pick you up at 7 then, oh and ask Jan Di to come as well."

"She's on a school trip to the south, so she can't come." Ga Eul answered.

"So it's just you and me then. It almost feels like a date.." She heard Jae Kyung unnie laugh.

"Errr.. maybe." Was Jae Kyung gay all of a sudden?

"Ok, so dress up nicely."

"Alright, bye."

***

Nighttime had just fallen upon the ever so energetic Seoul. Yi Jeong and Woo Bin had decided to go to a private concert, even though it was still very early. Ji Hoo and Joon Pyo apparently left town for some business and even though Yi Jeong and Woo Bin had a friendship that almost didn't fit the image of a vampire, it still felt a bit lonely without the others. Joon Pyo's dumb remarks would always make them snigger.

The venue was a lounge club for vampires and the two had made sure they had gotten the best seats: two large brown leather armchairs right in front of the stage. With the poles on either side of it, it almost felt like a strip club.

The girls walked on stage, 4 of them. In the human world they were quite famous, but nobody knew that, in fact they were vampires.

They started their first seductive song: .com/watch?v=WIfaWY9UYn0

Woo Bin sat back comfortably watching the girls thrust their his forward as he sipped from his blood-spiked cocktail. Yi Jeong, on the other hand kept fidgeting in his seat. He wondered why he wasn't able to fully enjoy the show. Maybe because he had all seen it before, he reasoned.

When the song had finished Woo Bin looked sideways at his friend who had finally relaxed a little.

"Thirsty?" He asked curiously.

"Yeah, but I can wait."

"You want me to call the assistants?"

"I guess it would be easier that way." Yi Jeong answered indifferently. It would also be very boring.

Woo Bin grabbed his cell phone and dialed her number.

"It's me, round up some girls and come here ok? Don't forget that new girl, what's her name again?" Yi Jeong looked up. He wondered who that new girl was. Did he mean.."Oh yeah, Han Hyo Joo. Get her too."

After giving them the address they listened to the rest of the performance. Afterwards, the girls came to sit with them.

"Brown eyed, you meant blood eyed didn't you?" Woo Bin joked as one of the girls sat on his lap. He gently stroked her back.

"Dongsaeng, I heard you were going to hold an FB party. Can we join?" Narsha asked almost sweetly. "We'll call some of our boys."

That had been the start of what Yi Jeong could only describe as a blood smeared orgy. And though he wasn't proud of it, he had also taken part. The girl he had just banged and tasted gave him a drowsy smile. She was the new girl Woo Bin had talked about.

"Oppa. How come it doesn't hurt when you bite?"

"Just go to .kr or wikipedia. I'm not your personal encyclopedia." Yi Jeong snapped.

"Choisonghaeyo. I was just curious." She pulled her dress up to cover her mostly naked body. The number of blood splatters on the garment was uncountable. "Will we be doing it more often?"

"I highly doubt it."

"Waeyo?"

"Because I don't like the taste of your blood."

One of the singer girls, Ga In, approached them and shoved the bloody girl out of the way.

"I need to talk to him now, donor blood bag. So leave."

"Oppa." Ga In started, her face was still a bit smudged with blood. "Why don't you come with us to our apartment?"

"Mianhae, I don't really feel like it." He gave her a charming smile. "Why don't you ask Woo Bin, he's always up for after-parties. "

"I would have, but he just left. Said he had some business to attend to."

"Really? Then I think I'll go as well after cleaning myself up." Ga In gave a disappointed nod. "Want to help me wash up?" His suggestion made her smile again.

The girls and boys lay on the floor, used and deprived of their precious blood, but they didn't mind. In their opinion, it was a great honor. Most people would fail to understand that.

***

Jae Kyung linked her arms with Ga Eul and practically skipped through the richly decorated street. Ga Eul looked around at the pretty Christmas lights and lush looking window displays. A normal girl would enjoy it, but it only made her heart feel heavy.

She stopped and stared. Scarves, hats and mittens were laid out nicely. A red plaid scarf caught her attention.

"Yah, Ga Eul? What are you daydreaming about?"

"I was just thinking how that scarf looks like the one my mom used to have." She sighed.

"Oh." For once, Jae Kyung kept silent.

"She loved that scarf. I bought her a new one because it was getting old, but I never got to see her wear it." She sighed.

"You never really told me what happened." Jae Kyung was staring at the same item as Ga Eul. "But I understand if you don't want to say."

"I want to." Ga Eul felt the pangs of pain that came every Christmas, return. The memories were so vivid. Such a dark memory, yet it bathed in sunlight. "I want to, but I can't." The only one was Jan Di, and it wasn't because she had told her. It had been the rumor of the season.

The woman who had killed herself on Christmas Eve.

Christmas Eve.. it was only a week away. Usually Ga Eul spent it alone or with Jan Di. But they never had exchanged gifts. It had been 9 years since she had celebrated Christmas.

" Let's go. I didn't bring you out here to get you all depressed." Jae Kyung said, tugging on her sleeve. She had never been good at consoling people, so she did what she knew usually worked for her. Find some distraction.

They headed for the nearest noraebang and sang until Ga Eul's ears were ringing from Jae Kyung's high pitched voice.

Apart from the bad run-in with the look-a-like scarf, the night turned out alright –even though Ga Eul avoided looking at anything Christmassy. That was until..

***

" Oppa, I'm glad you accompanied me home." Yi Jeong smiled at her, but on the inside he felt numb. Ga In had been nagging at him constantly to walk down the street with her.

" I don't know what it is, but I like this human tradition. Maybe it's because of all the food that people eat. It fattens them up like geese ready to be slaughtered. I want to buy one of them and eat them for Christmas."

" What, a goose?" Yi Jeong played dumb.

" No a human, silly! Too bad killing them is prohibited. I can't believe that there are actually vampires helping to enforce those rules. Stupid, Anne Rice reading, redemption seeking nitwits." She gnarled. Yi Jeong smiled at her genuinely for the first time. Admitted, she did have a sense of humor.

It was then that he got distracted by something familiar reaching his nose and working its way up to his brain. Cinnamon scented perfume, shampooed hair and what he recognized the most was.. untainted.

He looked across the street an let his fine eyes scan the crowd. It was especially busy in this area at this time of the year. There she was. Ga Eul. He smirked as he saw her stroll along, arms linked with some insignificant girl. He was about to continue his way –he wasn't really in the mood to bother himself with her, even though he had arranged the whole shopping trip -, until their eyes met. He saw the change in her demeanor. From reasonably happy to shock and from shock to concern.

He gave her a small nod, but she stood frozen. Her hand unconsciously lifted to touch her lower lip.

" Oppa, what are you looking at?"

" Nothing. Let's go."

***

_What are the odds?_ She thought as he turned his head and left. Ga Eul felt somewhat rejected as he continued his way. Well, at least he had acknowledged her. She wanted to resume her walk with Jae Kyung, but something kept gnawing on her insides.

" Mianhaeyo, unnie. I..I have to go." Ga Eul pulled her hand away from Jae Kyung and she backed away to the road.

" Ga Eul-ah, where are you going?"

" I'll call you tomorrow!" Ga Eul turned around and waited for the opportunity to cross the street. She sprinted as fast as she could, waving apologetically to the drivers who honked in dismay.

Reaching the other side, she looked around. Quickly she headed for the direction she had seen him leave, but he was gone. Too many people, too little light. Not even contemplating why she was so desperate to meet him, she started increasing speed until she was running. The people gave her _annoyed looks as she passed them._

" _Who's in a rush at this time of a day?" _

" _Aish, watch where you're going!"_

Ga Eul felt her heart thump. She couldn't keep this up any longer so she stopped to catch her breath. How long had she been running and still no sight of him. He was gone and she had missed her chance. Her chance to do what? Thank him? Slap him in the face? Kiss him until she was floating like a cloud? What did she want from him anyway?

Disappointed, she looked for the nearest subway. Riding the subway at night wasn't really pleasurable, with all the perverts and all, but being underground also soothed her. Away from all the pre-Christmas joy.

***

Her fingers lightly touched the keys. They still felt a bit cold from the freezing weather. Bad circulation, her mother used to call it. Her mother's fingers had been cold too, that day.

She took a sip from her tea as she focused on the screen again. The file was his schedule, which was pretty empty considering he was a celebrity. Did this guy even work? Her job felt quite useless. She yawned as some girl walked up to her. It was the new girl who had started to work for one of the KVC PD's two weeks ago. Ga Eul couldn't remember her name.

" Ga Eul-sunbae." Hearing that made her feel more uncomfortable. She hadn't been working there long herself. " I was wondering why you weren't at the party yesterday. They said all the assistants came, but I never saw you."

" Party?"

" Yeah, didn't anyone tell you?" Ga Eul gave her a blank stare.

" No. But I don't like parties."

" Yi Jeong oppa seems to like them." Oppa? Ga Eul wondered. Wasn't that a bit unprofessional?

" Oh." Was her only reply.

The girl swished her hair back and forth, her pretty neck sported a light brown patch on the left side. Ga Eul gaped at it. Was that what she thought it was?

" Ah kugeo (that)?" She gently touched the band aid. " It'll heal soon enough. Anyway, he was so nice to me yesterday, don't forget to thank him if you see him." And with that she walked off. What was that all about? Were those bite marks and if so, did he make them? She let her chin rest on her desk. Why was she feeling wretched after hearing that?

***

It was Saturday night and Ga Eul had called in sick. Yi Jeong swatted away the hand that was powdering his face and looked at his reflection in the big mirror in front of him.

Pale and lifeless. He looked like a corpse, he was a corpse. He hoped the filming would be done with soon.

At their usual discussion table, the men sat. Joon Pyo looked even grumpier than usual. Yi Jeong also noticed a strange atmosphere hanging in between them. Now normally he wasn't the curious type, but he wondered why they were all glaring at each other.

Nobody opened his mouth, and nobody seemed to be in the mood to club, Yi Jeong included, so they all went their own way after the shooting was done. Yi Jeong took the elevators to the floor where his office was and looked on the computer for the employees list.

If he went now, he could make it within 20 minutes.

Arriving at his destination he looked up at the modest building. He locked his car with his keyless remote. The car beeped in acknowledgement.

There was no elevator, only a grey and depressing staircase. Yi Jeong looked at all the little graffiti on the walls. Confessions of love and hate.

211

He knocked slowly.

He could hear her coming to the door. She let out a yawn. It was 1AM after all.

" Hello?" She said before watching through the peephole. It remained quiet after that.

" You're not going to open the door?" He asked, grinning.

" No." She retorted.

"Why not?"

" Because I don't want to. I'm sick."

"Is it contagious?" He asked

" Yes." She said resolutely, even faking a cough.

" Don't worry for my health, vampires don't get sick."

Silence.

" After I came all the way here to see how you are doing, you're just going to keep me standing here? I never thought Ga Eul-yang was the insensitive type. "

" You're a vampire, I don't need your concern." She said boldly.

" And I'm your boss, or are you just conveniently forgetting that?" He answered severely, but he wasn't angry.

Silence again.

" Show me your face and I'll leave. I promise."

" Keh. Promise.." her voice trailed off.

" Haven't I always kept them?" He was starting to feel offended.

He could hear the key being turned in the lock and it slowly opened. Ga Eul peeked through opening. He noticed the lack of make-up, the sleepy eyes with bags under them and her hair in a messy dot.

She looked like a country bumpkin.

" Can't I come in for tea?"

" You don't drink tea." She retorted. " Why are you here?" _To fuck you from here to Istanbul_, Yi Jeong thought angrily.

"Just let me in." Ga Eul rolled her eyes and opened her door to let him in. She had a tight white t-shirt on and yellow pajama bottoms. Wasn't that a bit cold for someone who was supposed to be sick?

She threw out her hand as a dramatic gesture to let him in.

" It's not like I can stop you, right?"

Yi Jeong scraped his throat.

"You have to say it." He said when she watched him with a confused expression.

" Say what?"

" Invite me in." Ga Eul made a face.

" Why?"

Yi Jeong looked away while slightly shuffling his feet.

" Omo." Ga Eul said, realizing. " You can't get in without an invitation? Come to think of it, I think I read that somewhere once." Her face started to light up as her frame straightened and stood in the middle of the entrance. She crossed her arms as she grinned at him.

" Well are you, or aren't you?" Yi Jeong asked, exasperated. Maybe coming here was a bad idea.

That was before he noticed her bare flat stomach and the way the bottoms clung to her slim hips. He could see a part of the hipbones peeking above it. And the best part of all? She didn't seem to have a bra on. Suddenly he felt himself going hard.

This country bumpkin, he truly wanted to have it. To play with it like it was his own doll. His own doll to submit his perversion to.

" So if I don't ask you in, I can be safe from you forever?" She taunted. " Oh, what a nice feeling."

She turned around and walked away from him, her ass swinging from side to side leaving him in the abandoned hallway. He leaned against the wall and waited. She was playing a game. Innocent and cute squirrel girl knew how to flirt.

A few minutes later she came with a cup of tea.

" Care to drink it there?" She smiled, holding it up where he couldn't take it from her.

" Is this how you repay me for buying you clothes?"

" Weren't the clothes to repay for what you did to me?"

" Did what?" He replied naively.

"Pshh. I know you didn't forget." She rolled her eyes.

" But it seems like you forgot who your employer is. Give me my tea." He ordered. Ga Eul's face fell a bit before she hesitantly stuck out her hand.

Yi Jeong noticed how she tried to keep her hand within the limit of her house, but in order to hand him the tea she had to extend it more. In a flash, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her to him. The teacup dropped to the floor. Shards were sent flying in every direction. Hot drops of tea had landed on their arms. Ga Eul winced.

How could she have been so stupid?

She gasped as she felt his body meeting hers once again as he steadily held her in place. What she hadn't felt before though was the rigid bulge now pressing against her tummy. Yi Jeong smiled at her menacingly.

" Now, invite me into your house." He showed her his gleaming teeth, sharp and ready to attack. Ga Eul mentally prepared her funeral.

"I.." She swallowed, still staring into his coffee black eyes. " Invite you in."

" Good girl." He coaxed. " Now, let's have some fun."

---

Don't forget to comment *puppy eyes*


	9. Threacherous Heart

9: Treacherous Heart

Every time I close my eyes, I see it again. What have I done?

***

Yi Jeong pushed Ga Eul back into her house, not loosening his grip even a bit. He bet she was regretting her boldness now. They moved through the hallway.

"Your shoes." Ga Eul blurted as if that was the most important thing. He looked at a moment before he finally let go.

"How rude of me." He remarked as he slipped out of his expensive Italian leather shoes and into a set of house slippers.

Ga Eul fidgeted with her fingers as Yi Jeong walked into the living room. Her house was girly enough, like he had expected. Something seemed to be missing though.

"Why isn't there any Christmas decoration?" He asked perceptively. Ga Eul swallowed.

"I haven't had the time to hang it up yet." She fibbed.

"I told you before, didn't I? You're a bad liar." He touched the fabric of the sofa.

"Well, I would offer you tea, but I'm afraid it's in a puddle outside."

"Then, your blood will have to make do." He quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her beside him as he sat on the sofa. Ga Eul struggled against his grip, even though she knew it was useless. He smelled so good that an urge to rub her nose on his shirt was starting to develop, but Ga Eul quickly kicked that thought away.

He pushed her down and hovered over her like the predator they both knew he was. She stared at him, her eyes filled with fright. He unconsciously grinded his aching dick against her and felt her react with the contact.

Even while opening his mouth only slightly, she could clearly discriminate the sharp teeth. Would it hurt this time, she wondered. The doorbell rang. Yi Jeong looked at the hallway, and while letting his guard down, Ga Eul used all her power to shove him away from her. He landed on the floor and Ga Eul jumped off the couch to the kitchen.

She looked through the drawers and cupboards for some kind of weapon. Wood, stake, silver.. There was none of it. She resolved on getting the next best thing. The sharp butcher's knife Jan Di had given her once. There was still a person ringing the bell.

"So what are you going to make?" Yi Jeong was leaning against the doorpost, his arms were crossed and he had an evil glint in his eyes.

"Stay away from me." She stammered as she raised the knife threateningly. Yi Jeong could see she was shivering.

"So you're not cooking?" He asked naively while smiling. His sharp teeth were gone and he looked almost human.

"Don't be daft." She snapped. She no longer cared that he was her boss. He was driving her crazy.

He walked away from the door and entered the kitchen. Luckily there was a kitchen table still between them. They walked around the table, their movements almost synchronic as the predator went for the prey. Both took a step at the exact same time.

That's when Ga Eul spotted the object that could save her. She quickly grabbed it and flung the garlic at Yi Jeong's forehead. It bounced off and dropped to the floor. Yi Jeong looked at the smelly bulb and then looked at Ga Eul.

"You think that would actually work?" He smirked.

"I guess not." Ga Eul shrugged. "So, garlic doesn't work eh?"

"Eung." He nodded.

"What would be, like the quickest way to kill a vampire?"

"You really think I'm going to sell myself out?"

"Is it like, staking, or burning?" Yi Jeong snickered at her blunt questions. "So you're not using your superhuman speed now?" She asked, before giving herself a mental beating.

"Good idea, but no." They continued their clockwise dance around the table. "Let's take this slow."

"Are you going to kill me?" She finally asked, seriously.

"Not today." He said straightforwardly.

"Are you going to hurt me?"

"A little." He admitted. "Today."

"Can I quit working for you after that?" If it would only hurt a little, she could take it. Or was she naïve for believing that? Well, she was done for anyway, inviting a vampire into her house was the biggest mistake she had ever made.

He stopped walking and so did she.

"As long as you come to the screening of the MV with the clothes that I gave you. I'll let you go then, if you still want to that is."

He started walking again, but Ga Eul still remained frozen on the spot.

"Is that a deal?" Ga Eul remained silent. "I'll take that as a yes." As Yi Jeong came closer, she backed against the kitchen counter. As his face came closer to hers, she bent as far backwards as she could, until she was risking a hernia.

He held her chin and pulled her towards him. Ready for the impact, or maybe even looking forward to it, she closed her eyes.

He grinned before crushing her lips with his. Ecstasy overcame her like a hurricane. She felt his sharp fangs, but he didn´t bite her, yet. His powerful tongue pushed its way into her mouth, clashing with her teeth. She hung on for dear life on the kitchen unit. Abruptly, he stopped, his lips were a bit swollen and he seemed to have warmed up a bit. The knife that had still been in her hand until now, made a clinging sound as it hit the floor.

She wanted to ask him why he stopped, but the answer came soon enough. He grabbed the band of her pajama bottoms and swiftly pulled it down until it lay abandoned on the floor. She was wearing a red and white striped hipster. Grabbing her ass roughly, he lifted her on the counter while easing himself between her legs.

Once again, Yi Jeong reveled in the warmness and softness of her skin.

Like in her fantasy, or was it reality, he licked the delicate skin behind her ear. His strokes were long and languid and Ga Eul felt her whole body vibrate. She never knew that spot was so sensitive.

"Keumanhaeyo, jebal (Stop, please)." She moaned as her hands gripped his jacket. He ignored her pleas and moved his hands from her small waist to her ribs, causing her shirt to ride up. Ga Eul whimpered at his sensitive touch. She felt herself getting wetter with every second. Her eyes looked out through the doorway, the living room and through the window. She could distinguish a Christmas tree in one of the apartments on the other side.

_Mianhaeyo umma. I know you wouldn't want to see me like this. _She thought desperately before throwing her head back when a new sensation hit her. His cold hands were moving up to the swell of her breasts.

He gently pinched and tugged at her small taut nipples as he kissed her neck. She felt the teeth scraping against her throat as he kissed her, but he hadn't bitten her yet. Instead he moved away from her again.

"Beg me." He breathed. "Beg me to take it." She looked into his chocolate eyes. Black holes more like. They were taunting her. He did this all the time with other girls, didn't he? A wave of disgust hit her.

"No." She said as her sense came drifting back. She knew she wanted it, but she wouldn't beg for it.

His fingers moved lower, back to her sides before he dug into her skin, causing her to cry out in agony. He pressed harder until he could clearly feel her ribs.

"Why not?"

"This.. this is degrading enough. I won't stoop any lower by begging." She bit her lip as she tried to concentrate on her principles, rather than her urges or the pain. She knew he was so aroused. She had felt it, she had also seen it in his eyes. Would he give up now?

"Degrading?" He snarled. "If you think this is degrading then.." He grabbed her arm and jerked her off the counter.

Without effort he dragged her along, looking for the bedroom. When he found it, he shoved her onto the bed and she bounced backwards. He threw off his jacket and unbuttoned his shirt, showing his porcelain skin. He was a bit toned, but still rather skinny. It was strange such power rested in those arms.

He looked so angry, that Ga Eul thought he was going to kill her. A small tear dropped from her eye. Why had everything gone wrong? Would he take advantage of her now?

Yi Jeong looked at the small bead rolling down her cheek. This wasn't what he had intended. His anger had just led him along the way, but now he realized that he should stick with his original plan. Would raping her be fulfilling his fantasies?

Watching her cower and whimper at his presence, he chose to button up his shirt again.

"We've played enough for today. Be sure to come to the screening. If you dare to be absent."He gave her another foul look. With that, he left the room and closed the door behind him.

Darkness embraced her and only her shaky breathing and the beating of her heart broke through the deadly silence as she hugged her knees. When she felt her emotions were a bit more under control she got up from bed and opened the door.

She anxiously peered through the hallway. Nobody. She let out a breath of relief and walked to the living room before she stopped in her tracks.

He hadn't left at all.

With his back towards her and his hands in his pockets, he was looking out of the window. As much as she wanted to look away, she couldn't. He was like a magnet, always pulling her to him.

"Are your parents dead?" He asked without turning around.

Ga Eul stared at his dark frame without answering, but he knew what she wanted to ask. He took the family picture from the cabinet and looked at it.

"This photo is quite old and there are no new pictures of your parents."

"Don't touch that." Ga Eul said under her breath. He seemed to have heard her though, since he put it back on the right spot.

"Besides, girls your age usually live at home with their parents, don't they? Unless you're married. Which you're not." Ga Eul looked away when he turned around and smiled, almost gently, and shuffled her feet nervously. "How did they die?" He asked casually.

"I don't want to tell you." She finally admitted. Nothing good could possibly come from that.

"At least you know." Ga Eul looked up again. What was he talking about?

"Know what?" He looked at her.

"Know how they died." For a moment, a nanosecond, Ga Eul could swear he looked sad. Then he switched to indifference again.

"You, don't?"

"They were alive when I was..turned. I don't know the kind of life they led after that." Yi Jeong turned to look out of the window again, while staring at the Christmas tree in the apartment across the street. "Did they have a long and prosperous life? Did illness befall them? Could they just live happily without me?" He was talking to no one in particular now.

Ga Eul wanted to step forward, but then she realized she didn't have any pants on. Quickly, she headed for the kitchen and pulled her pajama bottoms back on.

When she returned to the living room, he was still staring out into space. Though she knew she should be furious right now, seeing as how he had treated her, the only thing she felt for him now was pity. That moment, he seemed like a broken man. There were emotions in him, she was sure of it now. Sadness, she now saw it. Anger, she had just endured it. But what about the positive emotions? Could he also be happy?

"Is that why you haven't decorated your house?" He continued. "Did they die during Christmas?"

When she didn't answer again he faced her again.

"You're awfully quiet." He smirked. "I guess you're admiring my handsome frame, but I can no longer keep you company today." He walked up to her and stroked her soft cheek as she was unable to move. The touch alone caused her legs to turn into jelly.

"See you on Christmas Eve for the screening." This time he really left.

Ga Eul walked to the window and watched Yi Jeong walk up to his car and studied the footprints he was leaving in the snow. Why was she still looking at him? As if he knew –and he probably did- she was watching him from her window, he turned and smirked again, even raising his hand in a half-assed wave.

Ga Eul fled away from the window and sank to the floor. Her body was aching and so was her heart. Her life was mutating into something she might no longer be able to control.

For a long time that night she cried. Over her poor deceased parents, over herself and over Yi Jeong, the virus that was causing her all this confusion .

***

2005

It was the last day of high school. Ga Eul stood in front of the mirror and admired her uniform. Sadly enough, there was no one in the house to show off for. Her aunt was working at the market place, as always.

She looked at the picture of her parents and her when she was 8. It had been taken on a trip they had taken to Busan to visit some relatives. They looked happy enough, though Ga Eul could vaguely remember something had happened during that trip.

She fought the urge to speak to her parents, having decided it was useless and immature. Actually, it wasn't her own voice telling her those things.

"_Poor orphan Ga Eul still talks to her parents? Hey, don't you kn__ow the dead can't hear you?" _

It had been Hye Rin, her horrible classmate, who had teased her like that ever since they had entered high school together. But after today there would be none of that.

The last day was spent in joy. Ga Eul, Jan Di and two other girls went to celebrate by going out to drink hot chocolate while discussing the upcoming dramas.

"Do you know they're going to do a drama together? I swear Lee Dong Wook is sooooo hot! I'm so envious of Lee Da Hae."

"Oh my god! I totally want to look like her! Do you think I should fix my nose?" Her two more shallow friends were chatting away while Jan Di and Ga Eul listened on.

"Oh, I'm so saving up for my own! I don't want to live anymore with this pig snout." The plump girl sighed. "I want to have a boyfriend soon, before I wither away entirely. What about you girls?" Ga Eul blushed. There had been a boy in school that she had liked, but she never had the guts to approach him. For one thing, he had been Hye Rin's flame.

"I want a boyfriend. A nice and caring one. I can't stand jerks." Jan Di said loudly while wiping away the chocolate on her mouth. Ga Eul remembered a crude boy that had approached them a while back. He had gotten her infamous punch and high kick when he had tried to look under Ga Eul's skirt.

When they were done they headed home, since it was already turning late. Ga Eul took in the fresh evening air and sighed. She wanted it to be spring again.

"Yah, can't you watch where you're going?" A tall male figure shouted from behind at Jan Di, who had apparently bumped into him.

"I'm not the one who wasn't paying attention. Maybe you should stop drinking so much, idiot!"

"Little whore.." The man growled.

"Wowo, calm down man, she's just a kid." Another guy said as they continued walking, the one that had just spoken up was dragging the other one along. Ga Eul turned around to watch the men leaving. There were four of them. Too bad she hadn't been able to see their faces, because though they seemed very rude, even their backs looked cool.

***

Sometimes Ga Eul wished her mother had died in the spring or summer. That way she wouldn't have to kneel down in front of her mother while soaking her knees in the snow. She knew it was a selfish thought, but sometimes she couldn't help it. Thinking the world was against you, wallowing in self pity. Those were things that plagued her sometimes. She spread out the food she had bought and sprayed some water on the white little hill.

"Umma, I have to go to some kind of party tonight. I just wanted to tell you I won't have any fun tonight. That's why you died on Christmas Eve right? So it would be a sad day for the rest of my life?" She didn't mean to sound resentful, but she had anyway. It was inevitable. "Most children find a gift under a tree when they wake up on Christmas day, but I found you instead." Tears brimmed her eyes.

She turned around to stare into the distance. It was a grey day today. Grey and cold. Should she just ditch the whole screening thing? She really didn't feel like going. Yi Jeong's face popped into her mind, his expression alternating from seductive to menacing. If she didn't go, there would probably be hell to pay for. She just had to grit her teeth for a few hours and then she would be free. Then, she would resign after receiving her first paycheck. It was kind of rude, but what else could she do? Working for that man, no _that vampire_, was making her life too complicated.

She checked her phone for a message from Jan Di. Weird. Normally, Jan Di would send one back right away.

***

Yi Jeong straightened his tie and looked at himself in the faded mirror. After a two hundred years he still looked the same as always. It wasn't something to be surprised about, of course, but sometimes it did amaze him. What magic caused him to be preserved like this? Eternal youth, when he first heard that, he had just laughed. Still, eternal youth wasn't exactly how he would describe being a vampire, because even though his body was still young, his soul felt old most of the time. And sometimes it even felt like it was dying.

The setting this Christmas Eve was a conference hall. Journalists had already crowded the place. Seemingly, none of them wanted to be home on this supposedly joyous night.

Well, it _was_ the first time a vampire had appeared in a video for human musicians. Integration it seemed, had taken a big leap.

When she came he smelled it. She always washed her hair with the same shampoo and put on the same perfume. He had learned that it was from Lolita Lempicka, but the scent from the bottle wasn't the same as how he smelled it on her. The mix of that perfume with her skin was what made him quiver in ecstasy every time he smelled it.

As much as he hated to admit it: he was becoming irrevocably addicted to that scent.

He looked across the brightly lit hall where she was talking with some men from an entertainment agency. Apparently she was already getting some attention even before the MV was played.

The dress he had bought her fitted her like it was made for her and only her. She had managed to make the dress less sexy looking and more cutesy by wearing her hair in a high pony tail and only having light make up on. Somehow he had wanted to see her as a really sexy vixen, but that wasn't going to happen tonight.

The tigress inside her was still dormant, or so it seemed.

Finally, everyone was asked to sit down. Yi Jeong took a seat in the front and Ga Eul was forced to sit aside him. She gave him an anxious glance, as if she was afraid he would attack her right there and then. His lips curled to form a wicked smile and her eyes grew even bigger in response as they were staring at each other.

Before the MV started, a short presentation was given about the band and even bits and pieces about Yi Jeong. He never did like looking at himself on a screen so he focused his attention on getting the small package out of his pocket without anyone noticing.

***

The music had started and finally the scenes that that they had filmed started to show. Ga Eul blushed every time her face came on screen. The song itself was touching and the female voice was nice, though nothing could replace Ji Sun's voice.

She saw herself wandering through the castle, pricking her finger and collapsing. It was a strange sensation, but it was nothing compared to what she felt when she saw the kiss, the improvised kiss between her and her boss. Her whole body started to tingle as she thought back of that day. Since then, they had already kissed three times. And she had found herself responding to his kisses. How could she not? Every time he touched her, she felt in raptures. It would take a stronger person to resist that.

The rest of the song went by in a flash. She saw new scenes that Yi Jeong had filmed alone, and herself running from the dark prince.

Somehow, the storyline of the clip felt oddly similar to her own life.

In some way, Yi Jeong had kissed her back to life when she had started to work for him. Until then, she had just been going through the motions, but now her life was intriguing and actually a life worth living. It was strange to think that, seeing as how it would probably cause her pain in the end. But more and more, she started to feel that this was her destiny. Even if she ended up hating it.

The lights flashed back on and Ga Eul blinked as the brightness overwhelmed her eyes. She turned to look at Yi Jeong, but he was no longer there. Instead a package was lying on her lap. How long had it been there?

With trembling fingers, she started to unwrap it. Inside was a box that looked a lot like a jewelry box. She opened it to find earrings in the shape of snow flakes and a tiny porcelain Santa figurine. She turned the objects in her hand.

A note was also attached.

**V****ampires don't celebrate Christmas, but any normal human should. You never know when the time to celebrate ceases to exist..forever.**

**Merry Christmas **

Ga Eul put the objects back into the box. With a jolt, she stood up and hurried for the exit. Where had he gone? She was almost at the door when she was halted by two men. The taller one handed her a business card.

"Hello, Chu Ga Eul-sshi?" Ga Eul nodded while shuffling her feet impatiently, what now? "I'm Kim Han Sung from FF Entertainment Group. We're currently casting for a sageuk [historical drama] and are considering you for one of the supporting roles. Please contact us if you're interested for the audition." Was this a set up by So Yi Jeong again, Ga Eul wondered. One more thing to ask him. She thanked the two men and rushed out of the hall.

She searched high and low for a sign of Yi Jeong, but he was nowhere to be found in the building. Again her search was interrupted. This time it was a text from Jan Di, saying she was going to celebrate Christmas with her family in the little fishing village where they lived. Ga Eul let out a relieved sigh. Of course she had been alright.

Feeling defeated for once again failing to catch up with Yi Jeong, she decided to cool off outside. She grabbed her coat from the wardrobe and headed outside.

The harsh cold wind slapped against her frail face as she stepped outside the building. She craned her neck to see if her boss was somewhere. Then, finally, she heard his voice. Her heart leapt at the recognition. She took a few steps into the direction of the sound, but stopped as she heard another voice. A female voice.

"Oppa, let's get out of here."

"Why? There's still an after party to attend."

Two dark figures walked out of the shadows as Ga Eul followed them with narrowed eyes.

"I can hold a better after party than that and you know it!"

Yi Jeong laughed.

"Alright, can I invite somebody to come as well?"

"Who?" The woman asked suspiciously.

Yi Jeong turned around, his face finally visible in the faint lighting. His eyes were on her now.

"Ga Eul-yang.. want to come along?"

He had known she was there, she thought, still clutching the box he had given her.

But what to do now?

---


	10. Boys & Girls

10: Boys & Girls

Rome, 1911

Four men sat around a table outside in Trasteverre, enjoying the red wine and lingering summer heat. The sky was a bright fuchsia and filled the narrow street with a warm atmosphere.

The sun had only set half an hour ago, yet these men had already shown their faces. What could be said? These men liked to live on the edge.

It had only been a few weeks since this sinister foursome had formed in Korea, by that time already occupied by the Japanese. It was a good feeling, being in Europe in this season, even though signs of developing strife were also starting to show through the cracks.

"I don't know why, but I have this urge to kill a nun." Joon Pyo mentioned casually while swirling the red wine in its glass. "Will that pure blood bless me?"

"More like send you to hell straight away!" Woo Bin joked. "But well, I can't blame you for wanting to try the delicacies of the region." All except Ji Hoo laughed at that.

Ji Hoo, always quiet and always sensible just looked as the dark of the night started to cover them like a soft sheet. Being the eldest of the four –he had already passed the 300 year mark – drinking blood wasn't as desirable to him as it used to be. Instead something was starting to stir in his dead heart. A need to find someone. Someone to watch over. Someone to love.

He knew it was sick. How could a vampire like himself be so preoccupied with finding such a silly thing as love. Furthermore, who would he love? It was crazy and yet... he scanned the faces of his companions. He knew they wouldn't understand, except for maybe, the one that was second oldest after him. He knew the front this guy put up, but he felt that there was more to him. The scars of love were definitely visible on that one. Ji Hoo had been through the same thing. But as he was now starting to realize, no amount of time would make one forget the need to be in love.

Even if one was a vampire.

Yi Jeong felt Ji Hoo's eyes on him and returned the gaze. Ji Hoo smiled faintly before returning to his book. Yi jeong read the title.

_A room with a__ view by E.M. Forster_

"Hyung, isn't that a novel for women?" Yi Jeong asked.

"I don't know, but it got me thinking. Maybe we should skip this town and head for Florence."Ji Hoo suggested.

"Not before I get my nun!" Joon Pyo whined. "After that we'll go."

It had been a strange time, a strange 98 years, the time they had spent together. Yi Jeong didn't regret it, thinking back. For a while he had thought that they were the only ones he felt any sort of emotion for, be it anger, aggravation or worry.

It was only now that new feelings were starting to rear its head, very much like Ji Hoo had once predicted.

***

The clip had barely started, when his attention was caught by Ga In, who was waving at him from the side. She motioned him to come to her. With utmost care, Yi Jeong got out of his chair and had quickly gone over to the vampire female, but not before he had slipped the package on Ga Eul-yang's lap.

It turned out Ga In didn't have much to tell him besides inviting him to her Christmas party. Yi Jeong shrugged as she tried to persuade him to come. Christmas wasn't really something a vampire should celebrate. Halloween, he understood, New Years Eve, maybe, birthdays, no, deathdays, sure, Easter, questionable, Chuseok, ah why not. But Christmas.. no that was for humans. Unwillingly, he thought about Ga Eul and her seemingly dark Christmas past. Maybe he shouldn't have given her the present. Thinking of it, it might come across as if he..as if he..no, she probably knew better than that.

That was until he realized she had come outside, probably to ask him what the gift was all about. When he turned to look her in the eye, he had expected some anger like when they had a fight about the MV casting. But his night he saw hurt in her eyes. Was it because he was outside together with Ga In? Could she be jealous?

To test his hypothesis, he decided to ask her along to a party he wasn't even intending to attend.

Ga Eul bit her lip. She seemed to be contemplating the matter deeply. Finally, Yi Jeong got tired of waiting and went back to Ga In, who was watching the scene with morbid fascination.

"Is she your human?"Ga In whispered. Yi Jeong shrugged.

"Let's just go." As the undead pair prepared to leave Ga Eul felt the strength return to her limbs. She ran after them.

"Wait, I'll come too." Yi Jeong looked down on her pretty face. There was a strange mix of determination, fear and competitiveness in her facial expression and voice. Ga In measured up her new rival, though she'd rather bathe in sunlight than admit that.

"So, you're his new human?" She repeated, but now directing the question to Ga Eul. She bowed in return, not recognizing her opponent.

"Annyeonghaseyo."

"So.. are you?"

"His human?"Ga Eul looked confused. "I'm not a pet you know." Yi Jeong laughed at that. Ga Eul was showing her spunk once more.

"I don't know, I've heard a lot of humans barking and howling."Ga In retorted. "If you know what I mean."She snickered and looked at Yi Jeong who returned her smile. They seemed to be sharing some kind of inside joke and Ga Eul didn't like it one bit.

She couldn't help but glare at Ga In and felt the boldness come up once again, but as she saw the intimidating face of the female vampire, she bit her tongue.

What she had wanted to say was:

_I__f I'm his human then does that mean he's my vampire?_

After walking a while they finally reached a tall apartment building. Ga Eul followed the two vampires, constantly asking herself if she was doing the right thing. Just because Christmas had sucked for many years now, didn't mean she had to make it any worse by having herself be made the main course.

There was a certain way a Christmas Party should look like and even though Ga Eul hadn't celebrated it for many years, didn't mean she had forgotten how it was supposed to be organized.

Stepping into the living room , Ga Eul realized just how fucked up vampires really were. There was no excuse for the red lights, striptease poles (with a girl only covered with some latex bands dancing next to it), Marilyn Manson wannabe music and the massive blood sucking fest that was taking place in front of her eyes.

Ga Eul was absolutely horror-struck . She couldn't imagine people voluntarily letting themselves be abused like this. It was one thing to submit yourself to someone else, but quite another to be used as a happy meal that the vampires could happily share.

"What's wrong?" Yi Jeong asked when he saw her face turn a finer shade of green.

"My eyes are bleeding." She muttered. "Why didn't you warn me?"

_You don't know about bleeding eyes._ He thought. "I thought you wanted to enjoy the vampire life style?"

Ga Eul felt her insides churning from the disgusting scene in front of her. Afraid she would start gagging any moment, she turned around and headed for the exit, leaving Yi Jeong to stare at her back in surprise. After a few seconds he followed her, curious and maybe also a bit worried.

Yi Jeong was about to offer a ride home when a girl stepped in front of them.

"Oppa! You came!" The girl with long light brown curls and big eyes cried over the loud music. Then she turned to Ga Eul, who was gaping at the disheveled and blood splattered dress. She looked like a messed up doll. "Sunbae, you're here too?" The hint of resentment in her tone was undeniable. Ga Eul nodded in acknowledgement.

The girl walked past her and pulled on Yi Jeong's arm, who in return pushed her away.

When she noticed her colleague's hands on her boss, Ga Eul slid a little closer to him, trying to control the impulse to just link her arm with his and pull him to her protectively.

_What is wrong with me? Why am I like th__is? Could it be I..like him?_ She looked at his amused face as he seemed to be analyzing hers as well.

"You're blushing." He pointed out.

When she looked at him ,the whole world around them seemed to be disappearing. When she looked at him, there was only him. Even her dead mother was knocking on the door of her conscience, but couldn't get in. There was only Yi Jeong. And she knew it was wrong.

"I need to.." She started, but suddenly the girl, what was her name again? Oh right, Hyo Joo, interrupted.

"Can I borrow him for a while?" She mewed. Ga Eul resisted the urge to slap her. What would happen if she ended up being alone after Yi Jeong would willingly let himself be dragged away? She'd probably be in danger then. She opened her mouth to speak , but Yi Jeong was ahead of her.

"I'm sorry, but Ga Eul-yang is my date for the evening. You understand don't you?" Hyo Joo didn't seem to understand at all, but she left them nonetheless.

Yi Jeong grabbed her hand and tugged at it.

"You wanted to leave right? I'll take you home."

"No need, I can get a cab." Ga Eul walked away from him quickly, heading for the elevators. Yi Jeong came strutting after her anyway.

Hyo Joo watched them leave from a distance, her fist balled as jealousy burned her insides and flooded her brains.

"Sunbae, I still have to tell you some things about him. I'll make a note so I won't forget." She said to no one in particular and with that she went back to the party.

***

Feeling nauseous, Ga Eul remained quiet as she sat beside Yi Jeong. He had called his driver when they were still at the luxurious vampire apartment complex so they wouldn't have to take a taxi or the subway.

"Your stomach is quite weak." Yi Jeong finally remarked. "How can you be around vampires if you can't stand the sight of blood?"

"I'm not scared of blood. But that party there was just sick."She whispered.

"Well, according to our standards, this was mild. Next time I'll take you out to a real vampire party. Sometimes they even have a pool in the middle." Yi Jeong carefully watched her expression as she processed his words. The pool would probably be filled with.. The imagery was enough to make her even sicker than she already was.

"Please stop. I feel bad enough, sir."

He just showed his killer smile and shrugged.

Finally, the car stopped in her street. The driver opened the door for her and she got out with a little difficulty. Her legs were like jello. She held her stomach as it continued to give her troubles. Yi Jeong stepped to her right side and glanced at her weakened body. Right now, she was the perfect prey, and Yi Jeong had always been the type to make things a little bit worse.

The street itself was silent and dark as snowflakes fell on the already white pavement. He pulled her chin up and kissed her mouth, already a bit cold from the weather. She hardly returned his affection as she felt too dazed to respond. After a while she pried herself out of his tight grip and sighed.

She gathered all her courage and got the jewelry box out of her evening purse.

"Here."She said rather robotically, holding out her hand with the box. "I can't accept this."

"Why not?" He asked without looking at her.

" It's too much. I don't even know why I deserved this."

"Neither do I." His lips formed a small grin as he slowly kicked the snow away.

"And you already gave me these clothes." After mentioning this, Yi Jeong looked at her from head till toe.

"True. You're right. You should give it back to me." He held out his hand and Ga Eul was about to reluctantly place the box into his hand –what a gentleman he turned out to be- but instead he grabbed her hand again and held her close to him.

"Ga Eul-yang." He whispered in her ear. "I'll let you go for tonight, but you shouldn't forget. I can get into your house at any moment. I'll walk through your house when you are sleeping, go into your bedroom, pull off the sheets, your pajamas and underwear, tie your arms and legs and screw your brains out. And then you'll be begging me for more. When I'm done with you, you'll never want a human."

He pulled away from her and smiled wickedly.

"But I'll let you have a quiet Christmas." He walked back to his car. "Maybe."

When he had driven off, Ga Eul noticed a little card in her hand.

**Mirae Building****, Kangnam, December 29****th****, 11PM, top floor**

***

It was 11PM when the four vampires were hanging out in their own lounge. They had been discussing a new item on their show, which would involve new musical talents from the vampiric world. Joon Pyo agreed on everything, though he usually wanted to have the last say in everything. Yi Jeong couldn't be bothered by it, because for once he could insert his own vision into the program.

Woo Bin sat on the sofa and was zapping through the TV shows. He sighed at every channel and was sure to leave comments at every one of them. Joon Pyo joined him and stared at the plasma screen in silence.

"_Ring ding dong, ring ding dong, ring diggy ding diggy ding ding ding..__"_

"This song is so gay." Zap.

"_The cheetah can only run so fast for a short time, so it __needs to get its prey soon."_

"I prefer lions over cheetahs. At least they have team work." Zap.

"_The body was discovered at 7PM on December 27th.__ The identity is not yet known. It is …" _

Woo Bin quickly zapped, but Joon Pyo snatched the remote control from him. Feeling thirsty, Yi Jeong got a bottle of Tru Blood from the kitchen and took a big gulp. When he came back to the lounge, only Ji Hoo was sitting there, cleaning his violin.

"Where are the guys?" Yi Jeong asked after taking another gulp.

"Don't know, they've been acting all mysterious lately."

Yi Jeong shrugged. If they wanted to leave him out of things, then he couldn't be bothered.

He sat back in the soft lounge chair, thinking of the card he had given to Ga Eul-yang. In the back of his mind a voice was starting to tell him that this game that he was playing was quickly increasing in intensity. He reassured himself though, that he had everything under control. He was a 250 year old vampire after all. If her couldn't manage this then he would be weak indeed!

***

"I need to show you something." Ga Eul let herself be dragged along the way. Why he had even asked her on this 'date' was beyond her, and the location was even more odd.

They went up with the elevator until they reached the floor that said "exercise area." Ga Eul stepped out with a lot of hesitation. The walls and floors were all covered with wooden boards, giving in at Scandinavian feel to the place. Ga Eul looked around. Sauna, Turkish Steam room, Jacuzzi, fitness room and finally a large sized indoor pool.

Yi Jeong finally let go of her hand and kicked off his loafers before sitting at the edge of the pool. Ga Eul looked at his feet wading through the water and then to his face, which seemed to stare at something absentmindedly.

Ga Eul stood beside him and watched him. He seemed a bit more vulnerable than usual –probably since he wasn't trying to provoke her now- and it made her feel more connected to him. Even if it was one-sided.

"You're not going to sit down?" He asked without looking at her. Without protesting, she obliged, taking her shoes and coat off and placing them in a dry place before she joined him. The water felt surprisingly warm against her feet.

She watched his profile, hoping for something, a warm smile, a wink or even some of those nasty things he normally said if that was all he had to offer. But she hoped that for once, he would let his guard down and just trust her. Was that even possible though?

Yi Jeong on the other hand, was not thinking of opening himself up to her. In fact he was only plotting how to get her out of her clothes as soon as possible.

He looked into her eyes, expecting them to mirror his own filled with feelings of lust. He didn't expect the softness in them as she stared at his face, gently batting her long lashes. Her mouth had an innocent pout, making her look even more loving.

For some reason, she didn't look lustful at all, but rather loving. It was a rather unnerving sight to behold. He hadn't seen that kind of look since... well Eun Jae.

Annoyed with the way things were going he got up. Ga Eul followed his example and got back on her feet as he put his shoes back on and headed for the exit.

"What's wrong?"She asked softly.

"Let's go back." He merely answered. He could not deal with her loving stares.

"Shirhoyo [I don't want to]." She said in return. He could hear her heart beating fast. It was definitely a turn on, but he tried to ignore it.

"I don't care." He retorted.

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to a club."

"Are you going to bite some girl and play with your food?" She asked with defeat in her voice. He turned to her again, though he wondered to himself why he even bothered answering her.

"Who knows?"

"Don't."

"Why not? It's what I like to do."

"Is it? I don't really know you. I mean, I've met you a month and a half ago. And every time, you've been rude to me and I've been rude to you as well. So I can't say I know you well, but I know one thing: You're better than this. I don't think you're really enjoying this hunting and playing with your food thing as much as you let on. Somewhere deep down, I think you might still be a good person."

"You're right. You don't know me at all." Was his short answer while he stepped away from the girl that was annoying the hell out of him. Her hand now held his sleeve. He could've easily wiped it off, but he didn't.

"You can drink mine instead." She said unexpectedly.

"You're lying."He narrowed his eyes, hardly believing the words that came from her mouth.

"Probably, but just don't go, sir." She made him face her entirely and tiptoed so that their faces were on the same level before she kissed his cold lips.

Yi Jeong felt his barrier of ice melt away as he got swallowed up in her warmth and intoxicating smell. Suddenly he found himself drunk with desire yet again. He held her tightly against his body, leeching off her precious warmth.

Ga Eul eagerly sucked his lips.

_That little minx. She knows more than she l__ets on. _

Her slender fingers fiddles with his smooth hair as his searched for the sipper on the back of her simple skirt. With a simple movement it slid down and pooled on the tiled floor. Quickly, her shirt and tights followed. He pulled away from her warm and lavishing kisses and took his own jacket and shirt off before pulling off his own trousers.

When he saw her standing before him, shyly covering the white laced bra that covered her modest chest. A wicked thought crossed his mind as he placed his clothes on the bench.

"Let's swim." He took her small hand in his and jumped into the water.

"Wait!" But it was too late.

They had both plunged into the water, which felt nice and warm against his skin.

"Yah!"Ga Eul sputtered.

"Yah?" Yi Jeong replied, grinning.

"What are you, 6?"She snapped. Her mascara had started to run over her cheeks and Yi Jeong wiped it off with his thumbs before he realized how that would come across and quickly pulled his hands away. 

"Sir.."She started.

"I want you to call me something else, I don't like sir." He cut her sentence short.

" I thought you didn't care much for human titles."

"I don't. But I still don't like sir."

"Kurom, you want me to call you 'oppa'? She giggled to herself.

"Why not?"

"I can't do _that_!" She whispered. "That's awkward. What about sunbae, since we're in the same business now?"

"What business?"

"Entertainment."

"If that's what you want." She shook her head yes.

"Sunbae," she said after a moment of silence, "are you really going to drink my blood?"

"Yeah." He replied in earnest.

"Will it hurt?"

"No." He reassured her as he nuzzled against her tender skin.

His hands roamed her slender back as he kissed her nape and went up to her jaw line and already swollen lips.

She purred softly as their tongues fought their own battle of lust. Yi Jeong felt himself getting greedier with every moment they spent together. It wasn't an uncommon thing for men in general, but for a vampire it was even harder to control. He unclasped her bra and it slowly drifted away.

He felt her stiff nipples pressing against his, causing his erection to ache even more. Ga Eul felt the pulsating member against her belly and winced. She wanted nothing more than to feel it inside her, a sensation she had only dreamt of. Never had the urge to sleep with someone been so strong.

Yi Jeong slipped two fingers into her panties and teased her sensitive spot. Ga Eul moaned deeply as he increased speed. Soon, he felt the stickiness of her slick juices against his hand as she hung on to him while he eagerly sucked in her lower lip.

When she came, he slipped off her panties. She was completely naked now. He tugged at his own boxers, finally freeing his hard on. Ga Eul looked at it through the rippling water. From here, it looked distorted. It was scaring her, but she didn't feel like backing away. She just hoped she wouldn't have to beg for it to enter her. Yi Jeong kissed her neck again, his teeth grazing against the sensitive skin .

"Yo, what do we have here?" The male vampire sat on the edge of the pool and smiled diabolically.

Both Yi Jeong and Ga Eul jumped In surprise. Yi Jeong had been so preoccupied with the act of lust that he had completely forgotten his surroundings. He cursed Woo Bin for coming.

"I would let you have your fun, but there's this thing I need your help with." Woo Bin threw Ga Eul a towel. "I know you humans are somewhat prudish, so wrap this around you." Yi Jeong climbed out of the pool and dried himself off with a lush looking white towel.

Still in shock, Ga Eul wrapped the towel around her body as she scanned for her underwear. Once she had collected them she got out of the pool. Strange, there were red stains on her towel. It dawned on her as she touched her neck and her hands were dripping crimson fluid.

Yi Jeong looked at her and smiled.

"Told you, you wouldn't feel a thing."

Then she knew that he was some kind of monster. She should run away and leave him forever, but she couldn't. He had her spellbound.

***

"So what do you need me for?" Yi Jeong asked as he and Woo Bin had dropped the fazed Ga Eul off at her apartment. One thing was for sure: she would get a visit from the sandman tonight. Or rather, the opposite. There wouldn't be any sleep involved.

"We messed up Jeong-ah. Well, I mean not really messed up, but something's up with Joon Pyo. He's barely holding it together."

"Why? What aren't you telling me?" Yi Jeong frowned. What was up now?

"It's so fucking strange. I mean, it's not like this is the first time, you know. We've got to do something soon or it'll be out of control."

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Stop talking so cryptically."

"It's complicated." Woo Bin merely said.

***

_I wanted to smack all those bitches, kick them until they bled and then throw them into the gutter. _

_I am a monster, why shouldn't I act like one?_

_This world is tainted, I am tainted. I'm sick, I'm the lowest form of life, or rather unlife. _

_No I am the greatest. How can I think that I'm nothing. I've lived for so long, I'm like a rare wine. _

_Humans are worth nothing. Even ants are more useful. I didn't do anything wrong._

_She deserved what she got._

---

a/n: Hope you liked the chap. Next one will be up soon ^^ Don't forget to review!!


	11. Exquisite Torture

11: Exquisite Torture

Four vampires were outside a club in the shadier side of Seoul.

"Get him in the car." Ji Hoo ordered as he crossed his arms.

"We're trying, but he keeps kicking and punching." Woo Bin complained, trying to keep Joon Pyo's legs together as Yi Jeong hooked his arms under Joon Pyo's armpits. They tried to lift him, but the drunk vampire kept struggling.

"What has he been drinking?" Yi Jeong moaned. "Four bottles of absinth? Why weren't you keeping an eye on him?" He berated Woo Bin. His friend raised an eyebrow in return.

"Yo, I wasn't the one frolicking with a _human_ girl." Woo Bin snapped back as Yi Jeong shoved Joon Pyo in the back seat. Thank god they weren't driving a sports car today.

"I wasn't _frolicking_ with a human girl." Woo Bin let out a snort as he stuffed Joon Pyo's legs in the car and threw the door shut. Ji Hoo watched them bicker from a distance.

"Come on, admit it. You don't want to kill her, you want to marry her." It was Yi Jeong's turn to roll his eyes. It had been a while since he had heard something so absurd.

"Don't talk rubbish." Yi Jeong scoffed.

"You're so hot for her, you can't think about anything else, can you!?" Woo Bin kept baiting him.

"Yah, have you gone mad, you gangpae [gangster]? Have you forgotten who I am?" He snarled in return.

"No, but I think you have." Woo Bin retorted. "You're a vampire, not some lovesick human."

"Idiot." Was all he could muster to say in return.

"If she keeps messing with your head like this, I'll end it for you. Stop seeing that chick, Jeong-ah." Woo Bin warned, but Yi Jeong didn't appreciate being treated like a child.

"I'll decide that for myself." He simply replied, feeling annoyed that his friend kept on nagging him. Besides, if anyone was to end it, it would be him, whenever he felt like it.

"You're so hung up on her." Woo bin started again.

"Fuck this, I'm going home." Yi Jeong turned his back to Woo Bin and started to leave.

"Yo, bro! Don't leave me here with him. I can't control him by myself!" Woo Bin pleaded.

"I don't care. Unless you tell me what all this is about, you're on your own."

"Forget it then. I'll just ask Ji Hoo.." But Ji Hoo had already left. "Fuck!" Yi Jeong kept walking. It was quite unusual for him to fight with his best friend, but it happened sometimes. Woo Bin had his maddening moments. When he reached his own car, he sat in silence for several minutes.

Was it true, what Woo Bin had said? Was he feeling something he shouldn't be feeling for that girl? Even if Woo Bin was overreacting, he couldn't take that risk. What if, subconsciously he was growing attached to a human? It was a crazy thought, but if that was the case then he should end it now. He couldn't let himself fall into that deathtrap. There was only one way to overcome it. Firing her would probably do the job. Yes, he'd fire her and never see her again.

He'd never see her again.

He'd never see her again. After tonight.

Yi Jeong started his car and drove away into the white night.

***

Before going to bed, Ga Eul looked outside the window, watching the snowflakes as they made their way towards the ground. She opened her window and stuck her head outside. It was so peaceful at this time of the day and the snow only added to that feeling. Ga Eul liked how snow would always cover the ugly things on the ground and muffle all the sounds. Snow was a sheet of silence.

She yawned and stretched her limbs. Even though she had been robbed of her precious blood, she didn't feel too bad. He probably hadn't been able to drink much. Ga Eul knew she should be feeling relief, but actually she wanted more of it. She slapped her forehead when the thought surfaced. Was there a girl in the world more stupid than her? Falling for a vampire, how could that ever end well?

As much as she scolded herself for being an idiot though, her body still longed for him.

She crawled under her warm sheet and fell into a deep and satisfying sleep.

_It was Christmas Day, but instead of opening her presents at home, she found herself in the hospital._

"_Her father died from cancer two years ago. I'm all she has." The woman with a perm and a shiny forehead told the nurse. "But I have it hard enough to make ends meet living alone. How can I take care of a teenager? They cost so much money." _

"_At least take her in for the time being. It's too cold now to have her on the streets." The nurse tried to convince her._

"_What kind of person do you think I am?" Her aunt said with an insulted voice. "I may be poor, but I'm not so coldhearted as to throw my own niece out. First my poor brother and now that whimsical wife of his. The skies are not kind on the poor girl." And with that she looked at Ga Eul and sighed deeply. _

_Ga Eul had gone mute over the past few hours, her face red and blotchy from all the crying and her lips bleeding from biting on them constantly. The doctor had told them she was in a state of shock. Well, who wouldn't be, after finding your mother dead in her bed in the morning?_

_A finger grazed against her sore lip, wiping of the red fluid. She looked up, a handsome man with a pale face and a bright and seductive smile looked down on her as he licked the blood off his cold fingers._

"_Ga Eul-yang, gwenjana [are you ok]? Want me to heal all your wounds?" He asked, the tone serious, but his face mocking. She wanted to turn away, but couldn't. "I'll take you out to dinner." He started to pull her away from the hospital ward and into the dark night._

"_No! Take me back to umma! I want my umma!!" She yelled, but he just dragged her along into obscurity._

Ga Eul felt like she was suffocating. She looked up, but there was only darkness. What was happening? Then she realized something heavy was on her, making it hard for her to breathe.

"What.." She said breathlessly. "Can't breathe." As she struggled for air.

"Well, neither can I." The alluring voice sounded. It didn't take her long to figure out just who that voice belonged to. Her heart jumped at the recognition.

"Sunbae. Is that you?" Realizing he was pinning her against the bed, keeping her arms tightly in place. Cold lips found their way to her shoulder blade and she automatically arched her back at the sensitive touch.

"You taste so good." He let go of her arms to stroke her bare stomach and work his way up to her humble breasts, taking in all of her warmth and scent. Ga Eul tried to shove him away, but found herself involuntarily buckling against him every time he licked her belly button or the sensitive skin above it. "I'm going to taste all of you." He grunted before he took her erect nipple in his mouth and eagerly sucked. She squealed as he bit the tender flesh, but not hard enough to cause wounds. When he was done with one, he worked his magic on the next one.

His hand slipped under the band of her pajama bottoms and started rubbing through the cotton of her underwear against her sensitive clit. Ga Eul felt herself getting wetter with every stroke, cursing herself for letting him do this to her, but lacking the will to stop him.

"Sunbae." Her voice faltering.

"Hmm?" He let go of her breast and increased the speed of his fingers working on her swollen bud. She yelped out in agony and pleasure, her hands gripping his hair and pulling hard.

He took it as a sign to go a step further and took off her pants and underwear entirely before he went down her. Ga Eul gasped as she felt his cold mouth on her clit while his fingers worked at her entrance. His tongue flicked and swirled for what seemed like an eternity until she felt her whole body pulsating and then centering between her legs. She came for the second time that night, but with more force this time as she clasped the dampened sheets.

"The fun isn't over yet, you know.." A voice in the dark sounded.

***

Yi Jeong positioned himself between her legs. She had tried to clench them together, but he had simply pried them apart.

"I'm not sure I'm ready yet." She croaked. "it still hurts..a bit." Even though she wanted him to continue as her fingers caressed his back. To have him inside her was something she could only begin to imagine.

"Embrace the pain. You'll be rewarded afterwards." He coaxed her, stroked her face and kissed her anxious lips until he realized that it was a bit too caring for his taste. As if to cancel out this last action, he forcefully pushed his tongue in her mouth, causing her to moan into his mouth.

Ga Eul cupped his face as he devoured her and moved down to lick her neck and massage her thighs as he placed himself between her waiting thighs. He felt he had given her enough time to recuperate and proceeded with his plans.

With more force than he knew he should, he pushed his erection into her moist opening. She cried out in pain, her fingernails digging into his flesh. He slowly pistoned in and out of her, as she eased into the rhythm. He felt so hungry, not only for her blood but also for her cries that were now saturated with pleasure.

Yi Jeong placed her legs over his shoulders, allowing to invade her even deeper. He knew just what speed to go to make this feeling last the longest, to give both him and her the deepest delight.

His mouth automatically moved to her awaiting neck. Feeling the marks he left on her earlier that evening, he moved to the other side. His fangs were already out, there was no way of keeping them in when he was having sex.

With one bite, he cut through her soft skin, the metallic fluid poured out of the damaged veins and into his eager mouth. He sucked and swallowed, his sense of control was slowly fading. His whole being was slowly wavering. He grasped her neck to keep her in place as he thrust in and out of her. The climax wasn't far away.

Blood dripped on the white sheets as he took in more of her essence. For a little while he too would feel alive again. For a moment, a mere few seconds, he could forget that his life had ended centuries ago. But as with all drugs, the aching withdrawal would inevitably come afterwards.

Yi Jeong increased his speed until he came inside of her, filling her with his sinful being. He collapsed beside her, as Ga Eul tried to figure out what had just happened.

***

A strip of light came through the curtains. Ga Eul blinked a few times and let out a big yawn as she felt the cold of winter against her body. Her naked body. What had happened last night now came back to her conscious with the speed of light. She shot up and looked around.

There was nobody there. Of course he couldn't be, because it was morning now. He could have said something before leaving though, she thought. He had just left without saying a thing. She dropped back on the pillow, still feeling a bit weak.

Then she realized: it was a workday. She looked at the digital alarm clock. If she hurried, she could still make it. She quickly washed herself, noticing the bite mark on her neck as she stood in front of the mirror. Wasn't it on the other side before? She checked the other side, and sure enough, two little marks were still visible, albeit not as much as yesterday.

He was making quite a habit out of biting her and even worse: she was letting him. No protest whatsoever. She should feel horrible –he had assaulted her in the night-, but she couldn't. If it was the price to pay to be with him, she could do it. She could give him her blood. Even the sight of the dark brown stains on her sheets didn't scare her anymore.

Fifteen minutes later, she ran out of her house, heading for work. Nobody could say that she wasn't a dedicated PA. That still didn't mean, however, that she could keep on working there.

***

Ga Eul had been holding her letter of resignation all day, ready to turn it in at any moment, but unable to actually do so. For the hundredth time that day she sighed and went back to her seat. She had to check things for the upcoming fan meeting.

It had been a few days since she had received the call that she had passed the audition for the part in the sageuk and would soon have to start preparing since the shooting would start taking place in three weeks. She had not mentioned this to sunbae last night, in fact she herself had forgotten about it entirely. Still, there was no way that she could combine this job and the acting. She would have to quit.

She yearned to talk to her best friend, but Jan Di was still in the country side, only sending messages every few days to tell her she was doing fine. Ga Eul couldn't help but feel something had happened, but every time she called, Jan Di wouldn't pick up and just send a text saying she was busy fishing and whatnot.

Jae Kyung unnie was also there of course, but it just wasn't the same. For one, Jae Kyung didn't like complex matters and just went with the simplest solutions, which here was to just quit and go with the acting. But for Ga Eul, this matter was more complex. The mere thought of not seeing her boss, no sunbae, anymore, made her short of breath.

Not that she really wanted to continue working there. Hyo Joo was sticking to her like glue, following her everywhere. She couldn't even eat her lunch in peace. Ga Eul wanted to say something, but she was too nice a person to tell somebody else off. Well, unless it was So Yi Jeong.

Yi Jeong, the one that had stolen her first time and the one that had given her her first orgasms ever. It had been such an intense feeling and even thinking back of it made her toes curl. Now she knew what the deal was about sex. She knew she wanted to have it more often and she knew she wanted to have it with him only. If only he wasn't such a rotten bastard. If only he was just like any other human that could just confess that he liked her. That would probably never happen anyway.

" Sunbae?" Hyo Joo started a Ga Eul poked her rice as they sat together in the company cafeteria. Yes, even KVC had normal food to serve the human employees. She looked up at the pretty face and remembered all the smears of blood that had been on it at the time of the Christmas party.

"Yeah?" She replied.

"I have something to tell you. Or rather ask you." Ga Eul merely stared at her.

"Is Yi Jeong oppa dating anyone?" Hyo Joo asked innocently.

"Why are you asking?"

"Because I want to know." She smiled sweetly.

"I.. I don't think so." Ga Eul replied with an insecure tone.

"Do you think he'd go out with a human girl?"

"I.. I don't know." Ga Eul focused on her food again.

"Vampires don't date humans, they just have sex with them and suck them dry, then leave them to die." Woo Bin's PA said smiling as she joined them for lunch. "Vampires only think of humans as toys they can use and abuse whenever they feel like it. This isn't Twilight, Hyo Joo-yah, there's nothing romantic about it. Vampires don't fall for humans."

"So.." Hyo Joo refused to give up now.

"Just because you screwed So Yi Jeong once, doesn't mean you're engaged to him. If that were the case, he'd be having one hell of a harem right now." Ga Eul felt her blood, or what was left of it, drain from her face. Because she didn't want to act suspicious, she just kept eating, even though she was feeling nauseous from the impact of the news.

When the other girls excused themselves, Ga Eul stayed put and kept munching on the last bits of rice. If she stopped now, she was sure the tears she was trying so hard to fight back , would come pouring down.

Like a zombie, she finally stood up and cleared away her dishes. Had she been silly enough to believe that what they had was special? Was she just another toy? Had her first time gone to waste, just like that?

"Ga Eul-sshi." Manager Ma had popped up in front of her. His face had a pained look on it, like he was struggling with something. She looked up at him, even before he said anything, she knew what was coming. "I'm sorry to have to say this, but I have been informed by So Yi Jeong that he's no longer in need of a personal assistant. He has requested that I take over the duties that you were assigned to do."

Ga Eul just looked at him with a blank expression. Before she had been able to resign, she had been fired. He really liked to humiliate her, huh?

"You can still end this week and you will receive payment for it, but after that.. I'm sorry Ga Eul-sshi."

Ga Eul regained her strength and got her resignation letter out of her bag. Pretending like she wasn't hurt, she handed it to manager Ma.

"Don't worry, I was about to quit as well. I have an acting job. It's not the lead or anything, but I do have a lot of lines. It might be my breakthrough." She reassured him, though her voice was cracking. "Now, I have to go to the restroom." And she excused herself, telling herself not to cry. If she'd cry, he would definitely win. She would never let him see how he hurt her.

***

2005

"I can't stand this!" Joon Pyo belted. "Who does she think she is!?" Woo Bin tried to restrain him, but Joon Pyo pushed him off. "Nobody calls me an 'idiot'! I'll teach that bitch, bleed her dry and have her beg for my mercy." With that he ran off.

"Yah! Where are you going?" Woo Bin yelled after him.

"I guess this will be her last day on earth, huh?" Yi Jeong remarked casually, remembering the four girls they had passed only a few minutes ago. One of them had a nice scent on her and he had been half inclined to single her out, but well.. there were plenty of fish in the sea.

"I'll go after him. He'll get into trouble if he's like this." Ji Hoo said, finally breaking through his own passivity for once."

Woo Bin and Yi Jeong watched the two guys run with a speed unknown to men. Yi Jeong stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Let's go clubbing. I'm feeling peckish." Yi Jeong finally said.

"_Aiight_." And together they headed the other way.

***

The phone rang.

Yoboseyo?" She answered.

"Is this Ga Eul? Chu Ga Eul?" An older woman's voice sounded.

"Ah ye, who is this?"

"It's..it's Jan Di's emi [mother]."

"Oh! How are you? How's Jan Di? She told me she went to visit you!" Ga Eul replied happily.

"Ga Eul-ah.. eotteokhe [what to do].. how do I.. I just.. can't" Jan Di's mother started to cry.

"What's wrong?" Ga Eul asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"Jan Di-yah, she.. she.. they found her."

"Found her? Found her where?" Ga Eul asked, confused.

"The girl on the news. It was her." And from then on, Jan Di's mother was unable to speak any more. Ga Eul racked her brain, trying to make sense of what she had just heard. Then it dawned on her. The Jane Doe case, the girl that was found on the river bank.

Cause of death: Unknown.

"No, it can't be." Ga Eul stammered. "She just texted me yesterday! It can't be her!"

"We.. we saw her. It's her. She's dead." Cries followed by more cries. Once again, all sound had been drowned out, but not by snow this time. Now, there was only sorrow. Ga Eul could only sit there, holding the telephone tightly, as she listened to the weeping mother. The mother crying for her child. She had once been the child crying for her mother, but for Jan Di it was all reversed now, wasn't it?

---


	12. A Game Called Pain

12: A game called pain

It was when Ga Eul had closed her eyes and drifted off into a deep sleep that Yi Jeong got up from the bed. For a moment he felt empty. Not only that, there was also a guilty feeling tearing at his insides. He had taken this girl to fulfill his own needs, ruined her reputation for good and though it had felt good for him, but now he couldn't help but feel a pang of regret.

For a moment he remembered her staccato breathing, the feel of her warm skin against his chilled flesh, the sweet scent of her hair. Even in the dark he'd be able to draw a picture perfectly resembling her. It was wrong, he knew and there was only one way of fixing the damage she had done to him. Like a band aid, he'd have to rip it off quickly. So what if it was cruel? He was a vampire. Wasn't he supposed to be cruel?

***

A few days had passed since I heard the news of Jan Di, and now we had entered a new year.

2010. How could a new year start off so horribly?

Jan Di, my friend. Jan Di, my savior. Jan Di, closer to me than a sister could ever be. I just can't believe she's not here anymore. It's a bad dream, one I can't seem to wake up from. If anyone can hear me now, then please just let me wake up. Let me be in my parent's warm embrace again. Let me meet Jan Di at the mall just to hang out. No good? Then just once. Let me see her once more. I couldn't even say a proper goodbye to her. We've been friends for so long, don't we deserve a proper farewell?

I don't know how long I stood in the cold. For the first time in my life I truly had nobody to run to. The weather outside was cold, but it was nothing compared to the frost that had invaded my heart. I wanted to cry, but I couldn't, I wanted to scream but I couldn't, I wanted to run, but I couldn't. Most of all, I wanted to hug someone, someone telling me everything would be alright, but I couldn't, since there was nobody to hug me.

What a selfish thought was that? At least I was still alive. Jan Di was taken from this world way before her time. What kind of god would allow that? Why was she taken away from us?

Unknowingly I had walked to my old preschool, where we had first met. I remember how I had gotten teased because I didn't dare to do cartwheels. Within a day I had become the kid that everybody picked on during playtime. Jan Di was the one to defend me then and did so many times after that incident.

When I lost my parents, she was the one that always stood by me. She'd patiently listen to my complains or tell me off when I was indulging in self pity, whatever she thought was necessary at the time. Jan Di was the one person I could always rely on. She was the one that deserved to live a long and healthy life. Not me. Not me who shamelessly slept with a vampire only to get thrown away like trash. Jan Di would know better than to throw away her life for such a monster.

Jan Di, mianhae, I know you'd dislike the person I am today. Going around mingling with the vampires. When you showed me this job I'm sure you thought I would be more responsible. I wish you were here to tell me off. I wish you'd smack my forehead and pull me back to my senses, but I guess that won't happen.

How long have I been sitting here? I trying to push the tears out, but they're not flowing. I even try digging my fingernails in my hands until the marks are deep and red, but it's not coming. I'm not crying, I'm not screaming and I'm not running.

***

Seeing Jan Di's broken family at the funeral wake made Ga Eul's heart ache even more. This happy-go-lucky family was not supposed to see such dark days. A family that could withstand poverty and make the best out of every situation now seemed so helpless. It became glaringly obvious it was Jan Di that had been the driving force behind them. Ga Eul dropped next to the mother, who had obviously been crying for hours. The father and Kang San just sat in silence.

"Ga Eul-ah, what do we do now? Oori (our) Jan Di died such a pitiful death. I just can't believe she drowned in that river. She was a fantastic swimmer!" She hiccupped.

"I know."Ga Eul replied as she thought of all the swimming competitions Jan Di had gone to. A tear made its way down her cheek, finding no barriers on the smooth skin. It had only taken the sight of Jan Di's family to make her break. As the grief took over, it became harder to breathe and she found herself gasping for air between the sobs.

Ga Eul also couldn't believe it happened just like that, and found herself filled with questions that needed to be answered.

Didn't they find anything strange?" She finally asked when she regained a bit of her posture.

"They said it was just an accident. It doesn't seem like it was intentional, unless she committed suicide. Our daughter has died! How can that be an accident! And she would never kill herself! I just don't believe it!" The mother wailed.

Ga Eul nodded, unable to reply. How could she ever be fine after this? She had thought that losing her parents would be the worst thing she'd ever had to go through. She had thought her life could only go up after that miserable period, but now she saw that she had just fallen into another deep canyon. Could she ever climb out of it again?

After spending some time with the family, Ga Eul decided to help out with the wake, bringing around the drinks. The tears had dried on her blotchy face and once again she found herself numb.

"So, what they're saying is that she has been dead for two weeks already? How come they only found out it was oori poor Jan Di a few days ago?" A man with a wrinkled face croaked. Ga Eul was confused.

She had received a text from Jan Di less than a week ago. Somebody must have used her phone then? But who would do such a horrible thing? And if that was the case then how could she have been led on to believe it had been Jan Di and not somebody else? Thinking back, the messages had been shorter than usual, and they didn't contain the usual slang that Jan Di used. How could she have not noticed such a thing? She was too busy with Yi Jeong to notice that something strange was going on. She had been so self absorbed lately, how could she ever forgive herself for that?

"They say there was no identification with her. Apparently she had been on some trip from university, but she had stayed behind because she was going to visit her parents.. only.. only." The old woman was choking on her tears now, "she never got there."

"Then.. how did they find out it was Jan Di?"

"I don't know. Saesange [something like 'my goodness' or sth?], how can such things happen?" The woman looked at Ga Eul, who had been listening on their conversation. She quickly bowed and went to another table.

An obsessive thought started to form in her head. She needed to know what had happened. It became stronger than her urge to weep. Actually, it became the only thing that would keep her from crying.

Something in the back of her head told her this was no mere accident. Something had happened during that school trip and she would find out what exactly it was.

***

It was Saturday. Jae Kyung had invited herself to Ga Eul's apartment, and together they sat, drinking their tea in silence. Jae Kyung's face looked like she hadn't slept in days and Ga Eul had never seen her like this, so incredibly grief stricken.

Jae Kyung's spirit, hadn't died however, as Ga Eul told her the disgusting news.

"What?i He /iwants you to come tonight!?" She shrieked. Ga Eul gave a small nod. "Did you tell him about Jan Di?"

"Like he cares about things like that." Ga Eul scoffed. "He doesn't care for human lives."

"That crazy man! Just wait as I send some vampire hunters to slay his bony ass." Jae Kyung said resentfully. "You're not going, are you?"

"Of course not. I don't ever want to see him again." Ga Eul replied quickly.

It wasn't the exact truth. She did want to see him, if only to just to hear his explanation why he had abandoned her and then fired her. It seemed like he didn't want to see her anymore, so why was he asking if she'd come now? Did he think she was a yoyo? Throwing her away whenever he wanted, then hauling her back in as soon as he felt like it.

The fact that she harbored feelings for him (she couldn't deny it) did not mean she would let him toy with her emotions. She wanted to see him to tell him that. She wanted to scream in his face, slap him around and blame him for losing her mind temporarily. She wanted to see him to do those things. No, even without those reasons she still wanted to see him and that was exactly why she wasn't going tonight.

"You go girl. I have never had a boss before, but I know what he's doing is not right. Just firing you like that." Of course Jae Kyung didn't know about bosses, she was a spoiled to death chaebol heiress. Ga Eul wanted to tell Jae Kyung to stop talking about it, but the alternative, talking about Jan Di was even less desirable than talking about So Yi Jeong. In the end they just watched some TV to distract themselves from all the depressing things that went on in their lives.

***

Soon after Yi Jeong and Woo Bin had their argument, they had already made up. Woo Bin had apologized for taking his irritations out on Yi Jeong. He had overreacted on the whole PA thing, but honestly speaking he felt a bit left out. They used to go girl hunting together. Yi Jeong in return just smirked and they shook on their renewed friendship. No girl would come between their friendship.

So there they were, F4, shooting for their TV program. Ga Eul, had not showed up, even though he had ordered her –via Ma shiljang- to come. She had merely told the manager that she had other things to do. He couldn't help but feel slighted.

Therefore, he didn't head for the club right away –ignoring the curious glances of Woo Bin as he excused himself – and drove straight to her apartment. Realizing he was heading for something not unlike an obsession, he knew it was all he could do. She was on his mind so often he wondered how he could have let it come so far. He wanted to taste more of her, though he knew he shouldn't. If he knew he shouldn't, then why was he still here, waiting outside her apartment building? He hated what she did to him and therefore he also thought she should be punished.

Giving her punishment was reason enough for him to see her. He got out of the car and walked into her building. He didn't use his super speed though. Even though he knew he was already impatient, that was just a step he wouldn't take.

The last time he had entered her house, he had made use of his lock picking skills (this wasn't a luxurious apartment that needed a code to enter), which Woo Bin had taught him about a century ago. The chain had simply given way under his strength. This time he decided to be subtler and simply rang the bell.

Somebody walked up to the door and he could sense that person looking through the peephole.

"Omo..is that?"

The door opened and a girl with a bob cut and curious eyes stuck her head out.

"What are you doing here?"She asked immediately, with an angry look in her face. So she knew him huh? That was no surprise.

"I'm here to pick up my employee. "

"She's not your employee anymore, since you fired her. Besides, she is in no state to work right now."

"Why not? Isn't it a workday today? Wasn't that agreed on in the contract?" Yi Jeong asked sheepishly.

"You're really something, you know that?"

"Yeah, I know." He smiled charmingly and watched her roll her eyes.

"Who's that?" Ga Eul's muffled voice came from behind the door.

"Nobody. Just stay there." The girl said to Ga Eul. Yi Jeong was starting to get agitated with this loud and brazen girl.

"It's getting late. Let me get my assistant so we can go."

"What to do? I heard vampires can't get in without an invitation and I'm not inclined to give you one." The girl said with a smile.

"What to do?" Yi Jeong repeated as he stepped forward and pushed his way inside of Ga Eul's small apartment. "That invitation.. I got it a long time ago." He smirked as he walked past a flabbergasted Jae Kyung. She could only watch him move closer to Ga Eul, who was now staring at the scene before her.

"Why.. why are you here?" She managed to stammer.

"Your contract ends Monday, not today. You still have to work now." He grabbed her hand and started to pull her along.

"Yah, let me go!" Ga Eul yelled.

"Don't 'yah'me. Hand me her shoes and coat." He ordered Jae Kyung as he looked deeply into her eyes. Ga Eul tried to get her wrist free, but his grip was like iron. She could feel her bones ache under the pressure. Jae Kyung stood in silence as she stared into his coaxing eyes. Slowly she nodded and got a pair of Uggs and Ga Eul's red winter coat without even batting an eye.

"Unnie!" Ga Eul pleaded. "Call the police or something. Please!" Was all she could manage to say as Yi Jeong dragged her out of her apartment, her feet tormented by the ice cold floor. "What did you do to her?" She said accusingly.

"Nothing that's necessarily bad. Just made her a bit more cooperative." They stood before the staircase as Yi Jeong let her go, throwing her boots and coat in her arms. "You should do the same thing." He said.

"Then you will have to perform that same magic on me, because I'm not going willingly." She said stubbornly.

"Do you really want me to start with threats?"

"Do your best, I'm not scared of you." She replied while glowering at him.

"Can your friend over there really say the same thing?" Ga Eul swallowed. If he was honest in his threats, then she wouldn't be able to stop him if he really harmed Jae Kyung. That was something she couldn't let happen.

"You make me sick." She muttered as she put on her boots and coat.

"Let's go." Was all he replied as he turned around with a satisfied gleam in his eyes and started to descend the stairs.

Ga Eul watched his back as he strutted ahead of her. If she had a stake right now, she would plunge it right into that wasted/shriveled heart of his, or so she tried to convince herself. He held the door open and she got into the car, but not before shooting him a furious look.

The anger in her only rose as they made their way through the lit city.

"Vampires and humans are really incompatible." She started.

"You've only figured that out now?"

"I must have been crazy for a while, thinking we could actually get along."

"I thought we did get along? We got along pretty well that night." And she thought back of their night of passion, something she had sworn herself never to think of again.

"I've never met anyone as fickle and perverted as you. Did you have this personality when you were still alive?" Yi Jeong looked sideways. The sound of her voice was full with spite.

"I was a nice human I think. I was nice, thoughtful and talented. I had my whole life in front of me.."

"I don't need to hear your story." Ga Eul interrupted. "I'm no longer interested in it."

"You were the one that asked." Yi Jeong furrowed his brows.

"It was rhetorical." She retorted.

"_We will be so busy, I won't have any time to play." Jan Di sighed. "Why did I ever go to medical school in the first place?"_

"_Because you were inspired by that mysterious man 4 years ago. The one you met on a rainy night." Ga Eul helped._

"_Pabo , it was a rhetoric question." Jan Di smiled._

"_Jan Di-yah! I didn't think you knew such big words."Ga Eul teased and Jan Di gave an embarrassed smile. _

The conversation had triggered a memory of Jan Di, Jan Di, the other person she had been trying not to think about, if only to keep herself from not entirely falling apart at this moment. She knew she had told herself to find out what happened, but obviously she was not strong enough for it yet. How could she be, when she felt like killing herself every day since the news broke? There had to be a way to regain her strength soon, or else she would not be able to do right by Jan Di. And that should be her main purpose in life right now, not getting distracted by So Yi Jeong.

They didn't speak to each other for the rest of the ride.

"We're here." Yi Jeong had said as the car stopped in front of the club F4 was supposed to meet at.

"After tonight." Ga Eul started as he pushed the car door open. "We won't see each other again, right?"

"That's right." Yi Jeong answered. "We won't."

"Then it's ok. I'll be your assistant for one more night."

"Good girl." Yi Jeong stroked her cheek with his cold hand but she quickly pulled away. One more night of misery. She could handle it, she told herself.

***

The nightclub was a regular one, with the sexy girls (or girls trying to be sexy but failing miserably) on the dance floor, trying to entice the men.

Woo Bin and Joon Pyo welcomed Yi Jeong as he joined them in the VIP lounge area. Ga Eul stood behind him as she looked around. The other PA's gave her curious looks before they continued talking –or gossiping about her- and ignored her entirely. Ga Eul didn't care and she did every errand that Yi Jeong gave her. For a while, it almost seemed as if they were back to their first and relatively normal employer-employee situation.

It was only when Yi Jeong invited Hyo Joo to come and sit with him that the feelings she was trying to suppress so hard came welling back up. The way he touched Hyo Joo's shoulders and fondle her neck made her whole body shiver, especially when he glanced over to her side and grinned. She knew he was putting up a show, but it still hurt.

Yi Jeong invited her to sit with them, making it harder for her to avoid the whole situation.

"Why is she wearing those casual clothes when going to a club? I think she didn't even put any make up on. How lazy!" One of the slutty girls sitting on Woo Bin's lap mocked.

"Ga Eul-yang, has something changed in your life?" He asked sweetly, but the fangs in his mouth were glaringly visible. Ga Eul didn't answer him but just stared at the table. "Don't you think she's different somehow?"

"What do you mean, oppa?" Hyo Joo asked.

"I don't know, she seems a bit less pure?" Woo Bin suggested.

"Doesn't she? Can this mean you have some man in your life now? Did you go all the way? What a shame, I think your virginity was your main selling point." Yi Jeong spoke and smiled viciously. Ga Eul bit her lip. She knew why he was being like this, but she couldn't help resenting him for his harsh words. He had taken her virginity and now he was planning to take all of her dignity as well. But she could take the humiliation. She only needed to last this one night and it would all be over. For one more night she could endure it.

She told herself not to spill even a single tear over this as he continued to taunt her with his sharp tongue. If there ever was a time to start being strong again, this was it, the crucible she would have to pass.

Even thinking he would not be sincere about leaving her alone was something she decided to ignore. For now, she could only hope this was the last time.

She got up to get another round of Tru Blood for all of them and headed to the bar. As she waited her turn, a cold gust of air blew against her ear.

"What do you want?" She asked coldly.

"I don't know, but I know what you want." He whispered in her ear, causing her to sizzle up inside. She hated that he could still do that to her. "You want more of it, right?"

"Don't flatter yourself." She ignored him while he bartender took her order.

"Too bad, we won't be seeing each other anymore, but if you miss me I can always visit you in the night if you beg me."

"Just stay away from me." The bottles of Tru Blood were placed in front of her, but she didn't pick them up. "You take them there, it's 4.30AM so I can leave now right? The club is closing soon anyway." Without waiting for an answer she went to the wardrobe to pick up her coat.

She walked out of the club, but soon realized it would be a pain to get a taxi at this place. She got her cell phone and scrolled through the numbers for a taxi service.

"I can take you home, one last time." Yi Jeong stood beside her, his hands in his pockets as if the cold was affecting him.

"Just go away." She said meekly, knowing he wouldn't listen to her anyway. Then she turned to him. "No, wait, there is still one thing I need to know."

"What is it?"

"Why exactly did you fire me? Wasn't I doing a good job?" He shook no. "Then, was it just because you got what you wanted from me and then threw me away?" Her pride was begging her not to ask it, but she knew she wanted to hear it from his mouth so she could completely cut him off.

"Pretty much." He smirked. "I don't like girls who are easy."

"I'm easy now?"

"Yeah, I thought you'd try a bit harder to protect your virginity, but I was wrong. You gave it so willingly."

"You bastard."

"And what are you left with now?" He looked at het mockingly.

"Yes, now I'm left with nothing. Does that make you happy?" Yi Jeong saw the pain in her eyes but chose to ignore it.

"I don't feel things like happiness. But anyway, don't you still have your new job? Jookhahae (congratulations). Looks like you still have some things going for you, now that I'm done with you." Ga Eul let out a bitter laugh.

"If you are so done with me, then why did you come to pick me up, or follow me around the whole time? I know most of the things you say are just things to cover up your feelings, because it's too hard to face them. I used to feel sorry for you, but now I don't care anymore." She said as it became harder to keep her resolve of not crying in front of him.

"Are you done?"

"Yes. I hope you will find some meaning in your own existence one day." She looked him straight in the face, not even scared that he was a vampire that could harm her at any second. "Goodbye."

She hoped to leave him just standing there as she walked away, but half a minute later she realized he was still walking behind her. She told him to stop following her, and when he didn't listen even begged him to leave her alone. It was more than she could take.

He was not going. Even though he didn't intend to follow her, it was all he could do. Like a magnet, he was still drawn to her. What kind of strange magic was going on here? In the end, firing her had not been enough. Was only the option of killing her off left?

They stood face to face with each other, both in silence as the wind whipped their faces. Yi Jeong approached her slowly, after determining it would be best just to get rid of her. Only then could he be in his right mind again.

When he was only a few feet away from her, Ga Eul responded by punching him in the chest. Yi Jeong looked at her in surprise as she vented all her frustrations out on him, her eyes becoming red as she continued to hit him, though the force quickly disappeared from her blows.

Her sobs became increasingly loud and finally she just supported her head on his chest. Feeling him freeze under her touch, she slowly placed her hands on his back and clung onto him. For what seemed to be a life time she just cried and cried.

The thought of killing her had been swept away by the wind, but he didn't know what he was supposed to do now.

"Why is there nobody else I can hold onto?" She muttered against his coat, before she admitted: "I know I'm hugging the devil, but it's even scarier to be entirely alone. Why won't you just care for me? Why do you have to torment me when I've done nothing wrong?" Yi Jeong was taken aback by her obvious pain while clueing in on the fact that this was not just about the two of them. She had been going through some stuff lately, but he couldn't understand what it was. Was it the parent thing?

He let her hug him for a while, but as he realized how wrong it was, he gently pushed her away from him. It was obvious she was trying now to find some warmth within him. Even after all he had done to her, she could still manage to look at him for consolation. This girl was definitely stronger than he had imagined. That or she was just incredibly stupid for clinging onto him. Or both.

"You can't hold onto me." He told her sincerely. "I'm not a good guy and I can't be there for you. I want to tell you I'm sorry, but I can't, because I can't feel sorry. If I feel sorry now then I would have to make up for a life time of not feeling sorry. I can't do that."

Finally, he started walking away. He wouldn't leave her when she asked him to, but now that she was holding onto him, he pushed her away. She wanted to hate him for doing that, but she knew she couldn't hate him at all. No matter how much he tortured her, she was weak when it came to him.

So there she was, all alone, abandoned by the world. Would light ever return to her life?

---


	13. Reminiscence

Two weeks later

"Yi Jeong-ah, are you even listening?" Yi Jeong looked up and glanced at the clock. It was ten past twelve.

"No." He replied without sounding apologetic. "I'm bored, let's go out." He stood up from the leopard print chaise longue in Woo Bin's lounge and headed for the hallway.

"You're always bored lately." Woo Bin sighed.

"Let's go girl hunting." Yi Jeong suggested, ignoring the last remark. He didn't feel like getting into that topic.

"What for? You spit out the blood as soon as you start sucking." Because it was true, Yi Jeong was unable to defend himself. Lately, he couldn't seem to find pleasure in drinking from girls unless they were AB negative (which only happened on rare occasions). Even the artificial Tru Blood tasted better than the sluts he had been biting. He wondered what was wrong with his taste buds. "Don't you think you have some sort of issue?" Woo Bin continued.

"I don't have issues." Yi Jeong said stubbornly, feeling insulted even though he knew he was acting strange lately. "I'm perfectly fine." He opened the front door and left the apartment.

"Crazy guy." Woo Bin mumbled.

"Are you coming or what?" Was the muffled reply.

For once Yi Jeong decided he didn't want to go to a club, but just hang out in the streets. It was still very cold, which didn't affect the vampires, but the streets were emptying early because of it. Woo Bin glanced sideways at his friend.

"Remind me why we are outside again?" Woo Bin complained.

"Keunyang, going to the same clubs over and over has become such a bother." In all honesty, Yi Jeong didn't want to go to a club, because even though the music was loud, he could still hear her voice, angry and sad at the same time. It frustrated him to no avail that she kept popping up in his head and that there was no way of blocking her out.

"You keep acting stranger and stranger with each day that passes." Woo Bin said with a curious look on his face.

"Shut up." Was all that Yi Jeong could manage to say.

"Seriously bro, is it still that _human girl_?"

"She has nothing to do with anything." He snapped. Why did Woo Bin make it sound like his whole unlife now revolved around that girl? That definitely, most certainly was not the case.

"Maybe, if you want her that much, just take her again.." Yi Jeong scowled at him. Wasn't he telling him to dump her only a few weeks ago. Did Woo Bin think his blessing was important or something?

"Don't even go there." Yi Jeong knew perfectly well he was still having withdrawal symptoms from that girl. He didn't even know why. She was pretty, sure, but not his style. Her blood tasted good, but he had had better.

The sex they had, was, was definitely memorable, but it wasn't like he'd never experience something similar again. She wasn't special, that's what he had to keep reminding himself of. Sure, he could still taste her skin on his tongue, feel her soft breast in his hand and her tight slit clenching his dick. He still wanted to thrust in and out of her.

That day, when he had left her, he had been half inclined to go to her again. The sound of her cries was still ringing in his ears. It definitely wasn't something he'd soon forget. That's why he hated it when girls cried. Somehow, after all those years it still got to him in a bad way.

But what was a vampire to do? They certainly weren't the species to seek consolation from. Vampires, as everyone knew from ancient folklore to recent pop culture, lost their humanity the moment they crawled back out of the earth. It wasn't entirely true however. Yi Jeong remembered the moment he clawed himself out of the mud. That moment, even though he couldn't breathe anymore, he felt very much alive. It was a different kind of 'alive' though.

All his senses seemed to have awakened after a long sleep and he discovered all these urges that he hadn't experienced before. Suddenly he found himself to be a different person, with new senses, strengths and weaknesses. To know you could never see the sun rise again and would only be able to live in darkness or artificial lighting was something you didn't adjust to quickly.

That's why especially the first few months of vampire existence are crucial. Overwhelmed by all the new sensations the new vampire wanders over the streets, hardly able to contain its thirst. He knew it all too well, since he had experienced it himself. Those first months are touch and go. The ones that make it gradually become stronger and slyer. The ones that don't usually end up staking themselves, get staked or get thrown into the sunlight by other vampires. Have to weed out the weak ones, of course.

1754

"Abeonim, I don't think he will make it." Yu Mi said worriedly. "He has refused to drink for days."

"That won't kill him." Her master replied nonchalantly. "He might go a bit crazy, but well. Who isn't really?"

They both stared at the squirming body of Yi Jeong. He wanted to drink the blood so bad, but how could he? How could he take someone's life? The thought was absolutely unbearable. Had he not been human only a few weeks ago? 

Yu Mi walked over to Yi Jeong and wiped his sweaty forehead.

"Naeuri, just give in." She touched his long dark eyelashes. "You're too handsome to go so soon. It would be such a shame."

"Aaargh…" Yi Jeong rolled over to the other side and tried to evade her touches, it disgusted him, but she just continued to stroke him.

"Think of all the fun Yi Jeong and Yu Mi can have together. Abeonim is no fun at all."

"Yu Mi-yah.." The old vampire snarled. "Leave him be."

"But abeoniiiim!" She whined.

"Now!" He roared and Yu Mi quickly fled the scene, almost tripping over her own feet.

"Forgive oori Yu Mi, she may be a 100 years already, but she still has the mindset of a young child: playful, childish and ignorant." He pulled Yi Jeong up by his arm and made him face him. Yi Jeong looked into his wrinkled face. How could an old geezer like him even be a vampire? Still, he was strong like a bear. "We all started out like you once. The only difference is, some accept it sooner than others and some don't accept it at all. As I am not quite sure what group you belong to I will just ask you a few questions. A simple "yes" or "no" will suffice." Yi Jeong looked at the ground while he wondered about the questions. He really wasn't in the mood for some kind of examination.

"Do you want to die?" He was startled by the gravity of the first question, but he didn't want to show fear so he answered boldly instead.

"Haven't I already died? At least, that's what you told me."

"Well, then let me rephrase: Do you wish to leave this world entirely?"

"No." He answered, feeling like a coward. He couldn't imagine not existing, or being a spirit of some sort.

"Do you want to suffer?"

"Who would want that?" Yi Jeong retorted bravely but the old man just gave him a deadly glare. "No."

"Do you crave for blood?"

"Yes." He couldn't lie about that. It was all that he could think about.

"Would you slay an animal in order to drink blood?" 

"Yes." That would not be hard. He had eaten meat all his life. Blood wouldn't be very different right?

"Could you kill a human for blood?"

"No!.. I don't know." Yi Jeong bit his lip. He was already doubting his own words. It was getting harder and harder with each minute to resist his yearning. He could hear the heartbeats of young maidens from at least two roads ahead. "Maybe."

"If you can, then there are a three things to remember. Don't feel remorse, don't feel compassion and don't feel love for a human. If you let these emotions into your heart, there will be a point where they will overwhelm your entire being until you can only live in anguish. Vampires are not meant to care for humans. Humans do not live their lives thinking they are our cattle, but we have to see them that way if you want to drink from them. If you can't do this, just stick to animals, though I can assure you that taste gets bland really quickly. There is a path you need to take. One I cannot help you with, but until you have decided what to chose you will have to survive on your own. Only after that will I let you come back to us. Remember this though, we are bound, I will always be able to find you." The vampire stood up and left the damp barn for some fresh night air.

Yi Jeong curled into a ball and wept. Some drops of blood splashed on the hay while others found their way to his chapped lips. He licked the blood up, letting the strange taste cover his taste buds. So this was the taste of his tears now? He wondered if the blood of humans would have a rich flavor like his own had. He could not stop being curious.

Two nights after that, he killed his first human. He hadn't intended on taking her life, but in the end he had gotten greedy and had drunk until the last drop had left her young and innocent body. From then on, he knew there was no way back. He had become a demon. That night, he promised himself he would not feel guilt, nor compassion. It was only the third part that was hard for him. Eun Jae, his Eun Jae.. no he needed to forget her. Now that he was a vile creature, he could not show himself to her ever again.

However, a few months later, the longing had become so strong he could no longer bear not seeing her. Their meeting that been a mistake however, and now he knew that the third rule was something he would never break again.

Thinking back of how he had transformed into the creature he was today, now made him wonder: was there really no turning back?

"Jeong-ah." Woo Bin started. "There is still something I need to tell you."

"What is it?" he replied with mild annoyance after being roughly awakened from him ponderings.

"It's about Joon Pyo. I wasn't supposed to tell you this, but it's really getting out of control. Joon Pyo has been drinking non-stop lately."

Yi Jeong looked at Woo Bin, who seemed to be looking for the right words. Yi Jeong wasn't really sure he wanted to hear what this was about, it didn't seem like it would be pleasant, and honestly speaking his mood was pretty somber already.

" He called me about a month ago, telling me he needed my help. Since he sounded desperate I told him I could come, but he was all the way in Iksan. I told him it would probably be dawn before I arrived, but he told me to just come. No he demanded it and then I just drove as fast as I could . When I arrived there it was about 5PM. That's when I saw a dead girl. I asked him what it was all about, but he didn't answer. He hadn't even been drinking her blood, but her neck was broken, ya know? He was acting fucking weird I tell you, just telling me to get rid of the body over and over, even though he was still clinging onto her. There was no way of taking some sense into him, so I just took the body when he finally let go and ditched it in the river. I even hung a large rock on her so she would sink, so why did she came floating back up?"

"So?"

"So? It was all over the news. Didn't you see it?"

"It's that case?" Yi Jeong asked, surprised. "I've seen bits and pieces. Didn't they rule it an accident?"

"Well, that's because.."

"But if you hung a rock on her body, then wouldn't they have found some rope marks on her legs?"

"After they found the body, I kind of went to the morgue and talked with the medical examiner and.. "

"Glamoured him?" Yi Jeong filled in the blanks. If there was one thing most vampires were good at it was to glamour humans. You could think of it as a kind of mind control. "Yah Bin-ah, how long are you going to clean up after Joon Pyo? What else did you do?"

"That was it, but as I said: Joon Pyo is still acting fucking weird. Every time I ask him what happened he just mutters these bizarre things to himself."

"I haven't noticed that he was acting stranger than usual." Yi Jeong said frowning.

"That's because you were preoccupied with other things."Woo Bin remarked snidely. "Every night he drinks himself into an oblivion and then calls me to pick him up. I'm really fed up with this situation. He's really cramping my style. So, what do we do?"

"We?"

"Yes. _We_." Woo Bin looked him square in the eye as he said it. "We are your friends, so show some loyalty. Joon Pyo needs you, I need you. You can't abandon us."

"I won't. It's just, what can I do? He's killed so many girls, why is this time so different?"

"That's what I don't get, but there must be a way to fix him, right?" Woo Bin wondered.

"I don't know." He couldn't help but shrug. He didn't have a degree in psychology, so how could he know a way to make him better?

"Vampires should have never revealed themselves. Life was so much easier before, wasn't it?" Woo Bin sighed wistfully.

"I guess it was." Yi Jeong agreed. If this new world hadn't started, he wouldn't have had to face the situation he was in now. Then, he could have just roamed the night, like he always did, searching for a new prey, enjoy the blood to its fullest and go to sleep feeling something similar to contentment. Joon Pyo probably was the bigger wreck here, but he could also feel his existence starting to slip out of control. Would he too soon be a blabbering fool over a girl? He certainly hoped not.

"My name is Chu Ga Eul, nice to meet you all." She gave a courteous bow as she introduced herself in front of the crew and other cast members. For the time being, they would be her new family. That felt somewhat comfortable. Since Jae Kyung had left for Macao for two months –to help with her father's business- she was entirely cut off from any social contact.

Though her heart still ached from the loss of Jan Di, she had still decided to continue with this drama project. Jan Di would have wanted it that was, she was sure of that. Besides, seeing as how her character was a tragic one, she might be able to channel some of her own sorrow to that of her character. Just like the blooming feelings for So Yi Jeong had transferred into the music video, which she was reminded of every time the clip came on MNet. The song was a big hit by the way, and Ga Eul was sometimes recognized by people on the streets.

No she shouldn't think of him. She had done so well blocking him out of her head for these last few weeks, so why start again now? It was truly over, she told herself. Now was the time to focus on her acting and on the other mission had set out on. Another reason why she had accepted this project was that there would be shoots on location, and most of it in the North Jeolla province. If she went there, she could more easily travel to one of the cities there, Iksan, where Jan Di had gone for her trip with the university. Maybe she would find out more there.

However, for the first few weeks she would work at the set in Seoul. Though she did not have a main part (that one went to Lee Yeon Hee), her part was still significant as the princess who would have a crush on one of the soldiers, played by SuJu's Choi Si Won (writer's note: kya!).

Just seeing him all the famous people, made her heart go a flutter. She had been around celebrities before, seeing as how she had been an extra many times, but this time she would actually be able to converse with them and even practice their lines. Even though most of her life was in ruins, it was a comfort that at least her career was progressing. Too bad it was all thanks to Yi Jeong, who had probably also recommended her for this project, but she could just ignore that part.

Finally, she took a seat at the large round table. They were going to go through the first script and people were allowed to ask about their character's lines and such and cover all the confusing parts. Truthfully speaking, Ga Eul didn't have many lines the first few episodes and most of what she had to do was to just sit there and look pretty, but who was she to complain. It was somewhat fun being there, if only to stare at all the pretty faces.

The PD started his pep speech. "All right people! Let's work hard to make this the best historical drama of the year so that people won't even remember the name 'Chuno'! Fighting!"

That's how her new experience started. Within a few days she had gotten a bit more used to the routine. It was hard keeping up with all the seasoned actors, but they were usually happy to help her out when she met with difficulties. Though she hadn't expected it, she found herself enjoying it. It was only at night when she was all alone that her thoughts would wander back to her poor best friend and to that evil person, no monster.

And yet, sometimes she still found herself wishing he'd just show up in the middle of the night, if only to taunt her with his cruel words and then to kiss her senselessly. That's when she would slap her forehead and scold herself as if it was Jan Di who had said it.

"Ga Eul-ah, are you a masochist? Do you want to be hurt even more?" Then she would apologize to Jan Di as herself, for being such a fool.

Luckily, as the schedule for filming became busier, she would have to spend less time at home by herself. It was a distraction she more than welcomed.

"Sunbae. " Ga Eul tried to sound confident as she approached Si Won. Still, it felt really awkward. She had seen him so many times on TV and now she would actually have to work with him. Would she be able to speak with him without fainting or sounding like a complete moron or even worse, as a squealing fangirl? He turned around and smiled at her.

"Hi, Ga Eul-sshi, what's up?" She wanted to answer him right away, but all she could do was smile stupidly as one thought crossed her mind:

_He knows my name. He knows my friggin name! Squeeeeee!_

She couldn't count the time she had listened to Super Junior, even going as far as to memorize the 'Sorry sorry' routine together with Jan Di. Guilt quickly caused her smile to fade. How could she smile so gleefully when her friend had died such an awful death? She knew life would go on and that she would have to allow herself to be happy (if that was even possible) eventually, but it was still too early for that now.

"Ehm, I just wanted to ask if we it would be possible to practice the conversation for our first ehm.. scene together."

"Sure. We can go through it during lunch right? I'm pretty busy the rest of the day, sorry."

"No no.. lunchtime is fine. " Ga Eul stuttered.

"See you at the catering trailer then!" Si Won gave a dazzlingly cute smile before he left. Ga Eul watched him go. Wow, he seemed to be really nice, she thought.

2005

Ji Hoo had followed Joon Pyo until he had come to a halt at a playground. Ji Hoo observed from a distance as Joon Pyo watched two girls that were sitting on the swings. One of them had a bob haircut, while the other one wore her hair in a curly ponytail.

"Jan Di-yah, shouldn't you be getting home? Aren't your parents waiting for you?" The girl with the long hair and a sweet face asked.

"Nah, my father has been irresponsible with our family savings again. If I see him now, I'm sure I'll just shout at him. You should go home though."

"I know, but I don't want to go either. Auntie's been on my case lately. She doesn't like that I'm going to go to acting school instead of to a good university." At that time, her phone rang. "Ah ne gomo [aunt], I'm almost home." The girl hung up. "Seems like I have to go after all. Are you coming with me?"

"If it's okay with you, then I'll stay here a bit longer." The girl with the shorter hair said. She had a pure face, Ji Hoo noticed, but he also saw the weariness in her eyes. Her life must be tough somehow. He could feel it in his own essence, which was something he hadn't experienced before.

Slowly he walked up to Joon Pyo, who was still lurking in the bushes.

"Goo Joon Pyo, don't you think you're overreacting a bit?"

"What are you doing here?" Joon Pyo growled in return.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were stalking her."

"That bitch still needs to pay for insulting me."

"Are you going to kill an innocent girl over that?" Ji Hoo sighed. "I thought you were above that kind of thing." Actually, that was a lie. Ji Hoo knew very well how rash and bad-tempered Joon Pyo was.

"It just pisses me off." Joon Pyo wanted to step forward, but Ji Hoo held him by the arm. "Let me go. You're not letting go?"

"Let's take our cars out and go racing, that will put you at ease. She's just a useless woman, don't you find it demeaning, spending your time on her?" Ji Hoo asked, hoping it would be enough.

" That's true, I am much better than this. But if I'm still pissed off after we race, I can go and kill her right?" Joon Pyo asked, sounding a bit like a child now.

"If that's what you want, then sure." Ji Hoo shrugged.

"Man, I'm so going to beat your bony ass." And with that, they left the playground and the lonely girl on the swing.

A day later, Ji Hoo came back to that playground and found the girl to be there again. He looked around, but Joon Pyo was nowhere to be seen. He must have given up on his ridiculous plan after Ji Hoo let him win yesterday.

Why he himself was now approaching her, he didn't know. There was something about her that drew him to her. Before he knew it he took a seat on the swing beside her.

She looked up, startled as she wondered how he seemed to have appeared out of nothing.

"What do you want?" She asked rather bluntly and immediately regretted it. He was quite the handsome guy and she didn't want him to shy away just because she was lacking social manners.

"I was just wondering why you were sitting here by yourself and decided to keep you company for a few minutes. Don't you have a house to go to?"

"Of course I do." She looked at his profile. His light brown hair was perfectly coiffed and he was dressed completely in white. He seemed like a prince from a fairytale.

"Ahjusshi, are you lost or something?" She asked suddenly.

"Ahjusshi?" Ji hoo said and he gave a warm smile. "Didn't expect to be called that, do I look that old?"

"No, no!" She stammered. "But I'm not sure what else to call you."

"You can call me Ji Hoo if you want."

"How can I do that?" Jan Di replied, blushing.

"So, are you still in high school?" Ji Hoo inquired, ignoring her questions.

"No, I graduated yesterday." She said, though she didn't sound very proud of it.

"What are you going to do now?"

"I don't know."

"You haven't been accepted to a university?"

"I tried to apply for Korea University School of Medicine, but I didn't pass the exam. I guess I'm just too stupid to get into a high-rate school like that." And her face dropped even further.

"Do you want to be a doctor?" He knew he was asking the obvious, but he didn't want the conversation to stop.

"Well, I thought I wanted to, but now, I'm not so sure." Jan Di was unsure why she was so frank with him. There was something in his voice and expression that made her want to tell him everything.

"If there's one thing I know is that giving up is much easier than pursuing what you really want, even if the road is hard. I don't want to lecture you, but you should really think about it. Whatever your dream may be, you will probably always have to work hard for it. Nothing in life comes easy."

"I guess so, it's just hard to get into that school. Only a few can get in each year."

"And what do the ones that get rejected do?" He asked.

"I guess most of them will study harder and try for the next exam. Or try another medical school. Maybe I could do that as well, huh?"

"Yeah, maybe." Ji hoo replied. "If that is what you really want."

"What is your dream?" She now turned the tables on him, but he only shrugged before he responded.

"A long time ago, I dreamed of making music."

"And now?"

"I don't really dream anymore. I guess I have gotten too old to dream."

"Aish ahjusshi, how can you say that? You can't be _that_ old!" She said with a surprised tone.

Ji Hoo smiled sweetly, making Jan Di's heart skip a beat. Small of drops of rain were starting to fall.

"By the way, won't your pants get dirty from sitting on that old swing? There's quite some rust on it, you know."

"Don't worry about that. I have about two dozen of these trousers."

"You must be rich then." Jan Di said. "Only rich people waste money on so many pairs of similar trousers." There was a hint of antipathy in her voice as she said it.

"I can live comfortably." He merely replied. "You don't like rich people?"

"Oh, that's not it!" She said quickly. "I just don't like money being spoiled, that's all."

"You must be quite frugal then?"

"Well, I am the girl in my old class that could make 10.000 won last the longest." She said proudly.

They talked for a few minutes more until the rain got too heavy. They said a hasty goodbye before they parted ways. After that, they never spoke again. Instead, Ji Hoo would look her up every now and then, to see if she was alright. For 4 years she had been, but now..

Jan Di, on the other hand had always hoped she would cross paths with him. She went to the playground many times, but he never showed up again. How wonderful would it have been if she could have told him that she had gotten into medical school (though not at the university she had failed the first time) after a long time of intense studying? He would have been proud of her, for sure!

Slowly, her memory of him started to fade and she wasn't even sure if she remembered his face correctly. If only she had not been so busy with her school and had actually zapped to KVC every now and then, she might have seen his face again and recognized it. Sadly, that never happened.


	14. Reunion

Rain had been obstructing the shooting of the drama the whole day. Everybody was taking shelter under umbrellas, but their moods were still dampened by the depressing weather. Ga Eul held up her skirt, so it wouldn't get wet, but her arms were starting to feel sore.

She only had two scenes to shoot today (one involving her just sitting in the background, whereas in another she would be lectured by her father because she was complaining about her arranged marriage), but unfortunately one was shot in the early afternoon, while the other would take place after dusk. Now that they had just finished filming the first one, there was nothing left for her but to wait.

Ga Eul decided to get changed into her regular clothing, so that she would be able to get around without the wide dress. Too bad, her hair had to stay up, which was heavy on her head. She wondered how women in the Joseon age could bear with all the nuisance this kind of dress caused.

When she had finished changing in one of the trailers she went out to eat lunch with a few girls who were acting as gisaeng. Unlike her horrid colleagues at KVC, these girls were actually nice, though they did seem a bit shallow.

"I got my nose done at HanSeon clinic. You?" The girl, Eun Joo, had a brazenly spoke about her surgeries. She would've made a good gisaeng in real life as well, Ga Eul thought. That or a hostess. She had pair of mischievous eyes and a seductive smile that attracted many of the men on set.

"This is my real nose." Yeo Mi said, shocked and she started fidgeting on her pink hanbok.

"You're such a lying bitch. Min Ho oppa showed me your middle school photo's, you had a complete hogs nose there!"

"Shut up!" Yeo Mi replied. "Go and tell the world will you?"

"Ah, Ga Eul never says a word, right Ga Eul-sshi?" Ga Eul only smiled weakly in return. Who was she supposed to talk to anyway? These were the only people she hung out with. Ok, so there was Si Won-sunbae, but still. Like she could ever talk to him about cosmetic surgery.

"Oh right! Have you had something done?" Ga Eul shook her head. Even though it wasn't that expensive, she had never been able to afford cosmetic surgery. "Hmm, I can't tell if you're lying or not." Eun Joo said, suspiciously eyeing Ga Eul's smooth features. "Ah moolla [I don't know]! Yah Yeo Mi, stop staring at my Si Won like that!" She suddenly spat. Yeo Mi had been craning her neck to watch Si Won eating with some of the other soldiers.

"He's like public property, so stop yelling at me! I'm 2 years older than you anyway. Learn some respect!" Yeo Mi yelled back and little pieces of rice flew everywhere. Ga Eul wiped off the ones that had landed on her face before she stole a glance at the other table. It would probably be best not to tell them she would be practicing with him in private today.

"If you say it like that, it will sound too modern I think."Si Won said, scratching his head. "Ah it's so hard to say this properly. "

"My pronunciation is really bad, right?"

"Yes." He said bluntly, causing Ga Eul to stare at him. "But then again, so is mine. Maybe we should ask Soo Jong Sunbae. He's played in a few sageuks before."

"I'd be too embarrassed to ask him. He's like a god." Ga Eul said reverently .

"But a nice god at that. Let's go or we'll be stuck with these lines forever."

They got up from their seats and went in search for their sunbae, who was nowhere to be found, apparently. After having asked at least a dozen people, they sat down, defeated.

"Maybe we should ask somebody else then?"Ga Eul suggested.

"Should we?" Si Wo asked and she nodded. "Let's go then." After they had finally found somebody to teach them the proper way to pronounce the lines, there was no time left to practice as the soldiers had their next scene.

Ga Eul was about to leave so that she could practice by herself, but Si Won halted her.

"Ga Eul-sshi, I have a favor to ask you."

"Oh sure, anything." Ga Eul said enthusiastically without realizing first how it would come across.

"So basically there's this thing I have been wanting to go to, but I didn't want to go with a guy, especially not with the guys from SuJu. They'd be of no use. " He frowned, but then broke into a smile, as if warmly remembering all the times they had spent together as a group. "And since we've been getting along well, I thought.. maybe you want to come along?"

She just stared at him. Was he asking her out? On a date? What kind of warped world was this that an ordinary girl like herself could be asked out on a date by an idol?

"Is that a 'no'?"He said when she still hadn't answered.

"No! " She said quickly before tilting her head slightly. It was hard to find the right words. "I mean, yes, that is.. if you want to then.. I can tag along."

"Ah, that'll be fun. I'll have to go now, but I'll give you my number later, ok?"

"O..k." She stuttered, still unable to blink. Life had definitely been throwing her for a loop lately.

The streets were bustling with people, now that it was a bit less cold (well, for a few days anyway). Joon Pyo walked by himself, glaring at the people as they came along. He knew what they were thinking. As soon as they saw him, they knew, judging by the scared looks on their faces. The crowd ahead of him parted like the red sea as they took notice of him.

Was it fright? Reverence? Disgust? He couldn't exactly tell, but he knew what he felt when he looked in the mirror. He hated the mere sight of himself.

He hadn't always been like this. Once he had been quite proud of being a vampire, but now it had changed. She had changed him and she didn't even know it. And now she never would.

It was all his fault and he should be punished. Still, it was not in his nature to be mad at himself and so he externalized his feelings. That night he fought with vampires and humans alike, leaving behind mushy pulps that were once called people before he'd get himself completely hammered. After that, the only thing that he still knew, and went automatically by now, was to call Woo Bin, the one who had never rebelled against him.

The only one he could trust.

"Why are you like this again, huh?"Woo Bin asked with an exasperated voice.

"Why? I don't know why." Joon Pyo muttered as Woo Bin tried to pull him up from the blood splattered floor.

"It's that girl again eh? I don't know what it is with those human girls. Yi Jeong too.."

"Yi Jeong?" Joon Pyo asked curiously. "Is Yi Jeong involved with some human girl?" Woo Bin contemplated his options. He had probably said too much. Now all he could do was damage control.

"No, of course not. I was just about to say.."

"Those girls are like poison. Once it's in your system, it eats away your guts. I'll tell Yi Jeong to back off as soon as I.. as I ssssee him. " Joon Pyo slurred while Woo Bin supported him. He had done the same thing already, but he doubted it had helped. Yi Jeong was still acting odd. The poison was already doing its work. 

It was still early, and so the KVC building still had a high human to vampire ratio. Secretary Kim (writer's note: any of you guys watching Smile, you? Then you'll know who I mean haha) hurried to the elevators. He pressed the button eagerly and cursed under his breath when it didn't arrive fast enough.

When he finally got to the level he ran to the office he had only seen once before. It was his first week on the job and it was also his first time working for a vampire. He was understandably nervous.

With a shivering hand, he straightened his glasses before he knocked on the door that was slightly ajar.

"Come in." the young voice sounded.

"Sssssir, I've tried to do as you asked me, but.." He stammered.

"But what?" The youthful looking man said, folding his hands on his large mahogany desk.

"Well, there are so many people on set, it was hard to find the person you were speaking of."

"I gave you a picture." It was the picture from her file which he had taken a habit out of looking at it every once in a while whenever he couldn't control himself any longer.

"With all d…d..due respect, they're all walking around in traditional clothing and on the picture she looks quite different."

"When I hired you I was under the supposition that you were good at finding people. At least you claimed you were. Were you lying, or was I just overestimating your qualities?" Yi Jeong said. His lips curled into a smile, but his eyes were dead serious.

"N..no ..no! I've found her after some hours, I think. But I'm n..not sure if it's what you want to hear, sir."

"Want to hear what? Tell me!"

"I saw her err exchanging numbers with one of those idol guys."

"What idol guy?"

"Uhm, what's his name again. From that band, you know.._sorry sorry sorry_."And secretary Kim performed a little routing to go with the song. Yi Jeong rolled his eyes until the news really hit him. Exchange numbers? Could this mean she was seeing other guys?

Somehow, in one way or another, that was completely unacceptable.

"Secretary Kim, tomorrow I want you to go there again. This time I want you to look through her cell phone and find out what that _idol _has been sending her."

"But how do I?" Secretary Kim looked completely lost. How would he be able to get a hold of her cell phone?

"If you don't want to, shall I introduce you to some of my friends instead? I think you'd get along nicely. By the way, what is your blood type?" Secretary Kim swallowed, hard.

"I'll do it. You can count on me sir." And with that he rushed out of the office.

Yi Jeong leaned back in his leather chair and sighed. He was disgusted with himself for becoming such a stalker, but there was no way around it. The longer he didn't see her, the more he lusted after her. If these were withdrawal symptoms, he just couldn't stand them. He needed his fix, and he needed it soon.

After Ga Eul left, he had even hired a guy, something he had never done before, because somehow he just wasn't able to choose another girl. Especially not one who already threw herself at him (and they all did).

So after a while he had just decided to have her back in his unlife again. He should have felt sorry that he was breaking his own promise and also to her, but well, it was too late to feel sorry now anyway.

Ga Eul nervously tapped her fingers on the table of the small coffee bar where she was supposed to meet Si Won. This would, most definitely, be the most awkward meet up ever.

Her phone vibrated and she checked the display. He had sent her a text. To cancel their date of course, she thought. A wave of relief washed over her, because now she wouldn't have to reject him if he confessed to her. That was probably a weird, not to mention an overconfident thought, but it was possible. If, by some fluke of nature he were to say he liked her, she would have to come up with a reply, no? It would be even more embarrassing if she just stared blankly at him.

So, for the past few days she had practiced her rejection.

"Si Won sunbae, I really appreciate it and I'm really honored, but you see… I've been going through a lot lately because my best friend died and.."

No, that was too personal.

"You see, I already like someone else, even though he's a mean vampire and a complete jerk that treats me like garbage, but I still like him because he's hot and there's this different side to him I want to explore. Even though I told him I never want to see him again, I kinda still do.."

No, that would be way too much information.

"You see, I want to give my all in this role and I think having a relationship with a co-actor will complicate things too much. I hope you can understand."

Maybe she'd come across as an overly ambitious and cold hearted bitch, but well.. among the three options it was definitely the best.

She looked at her cell phone display.

**Ga Eul-sshi, did you remember to bring the beanie, scarf and glasses? If so, can you put them on right now?**

**Si Won**

When he first asked for her to bring those items, she was already confused, but now he was asking her to put them on? She obliged, however, swung the pink scarf around her neck, put on the glasses and covered her hair with the woolen beanie. As soon as she was finished she sent him a text back.

Two minutes later a guy walked into the coffee shop, wearing a get up similar to hers. It took het a few seconds to realize this guy was actually the idol she was supposed to meet. The few other people in the café didn't seem to realize it was Choi Si Won of Super Junior as he passed by them.

"Ah mianhae. I'm a bit late." He said, straightening his glasses.

"That's ok." Ga Eul reassured him. "It's just, it's a bit warm, sitting like this."

"Ah yeah, I meant to talk to you about that. It's about the favor I wanted to ask. You see, there's been this scandal lately between me and a girl from SM entertainment. I feel really bad about it, since it started because I said too much in a radio show. I was thinking maybe they would stop harassing her about it if they saw me with another girl."

"Uhm, so this is.."Though she felt relieved, her pride was also taking a blow. He hadn't meant to ask her out, he was trying to resolve the scandal.

" Yeah. Sorry, but can you pretend to be that girl today? I know the disguise isn't fail proof, but since you aren't famous.."

"Ouch." Ga Eul said, but she smiled afterwards. "But if sunbae wants me to do this, I'm more than willing to help you out. It's just, I'm a bit scared of the fan girls."

"Yeah, that might be a problem. We have to make sure they can only make a few vague pictures of us hanging out so you won't be recognized. Hopefully it will be enough."

"They?"

"I asked a few friends of mine to make some pictures we can 'spill' to the internet."

"Ah, you went through a lot of trouble for this eh sunbae? You're really considerate of your colleagues." Ga Eul said admiringly and he blushed a bit at the compliment.

"Ok, let's do it then."

"Really? Ga Eul-sshi, you are jjang (the best)! Let's go to the arcades first."

That's how Ga Eul ended up spending her day on a fake date which was actually sort of fun. They went to the arcade first, then to the mall and had dinner in a small restaurant where they had bulgogi. They had a nice chat and it felt like she had gained a new friend. In the meantime, she got to practice her lines for the drama and also got some good advices for the survival as an actor/celebrity.

"Well, this is the end of our fake date now."He said as they stood outside. The sky was already dark and snow was starting to fall again. Ga Eul held her hands up and watched the snowflakes fade away as they came in contact with her warm skin. "But maybe, if you want to, we can have a drink now?"

Ga Eul looked up and saw his sweet eyes peering into hers.

"Without the cameras and all." He added.

"I don't know." She hesitated.

"Ah, I'm treating. It's this great wine bar. Let's go." He said, tugging at her sleeve.

They went to a wine bar called Longing, which had a modern and dark interior with fancy chandeliers and long lounge sofas where all the glamorous people were enjoying their drinks. Ga Eul felt a bit out of place in her casual outfit, but at least she didn't have to keep her disguise on as they sat in a dark corner. Ga Eul had a good view of all the people in the bar, while Si Won had his back to the crowd.

They had ordered a bottle of Chablis and were talking gleefully when the mood in the bar started to shift. People were turning around to see a couple that had just entered. Ga Eul didn't want to be like them and tried to control her curiosity, but a strange feeling grabbed her guts as she saw a familiar figure in the corner of her eyes.

Automatically she glanced in that direction just to check, she told herself. She knew she was just seeing things. It couldn't possibly be him.

Except that it _was_ him.

Dark bangs that covered most of his forehead, white skin that seemed to be almost translucent, a strong straight nose and cold black eyes with only a small shimmer of light in them.

He was looking at her and grinning and it sent shivers down her spine. Quickly, she shrank back into her seat and covered her face with the menu card. Her heart was beating so fast she swore it would pop out of her chest any second now.

Without seeming too obvious she peeked over the menu and in Yi Jeong's direction. He was directing his attention to the girl he had brought along. It wasn't a person she had seen before. The girl had long sleek black hair and a white face with full red lips and revealing clothing.

Ga Eul wasn't sure if she was a vampire or not, but one thing was sure. She was an utter skank. Who else would think of wearing kneelength boots with that short a dress other that some girl looking for a "good time"?

"Ga Eul-sshi.. are you ok?" She snapped out of her reverie as Si Won called her back to earth.

"Ah, yes, sorry sunbae." But her eyes wandered back to the table on the other side of the small wine bar where her ex-boss was shamelessly flirting with that cheap girl.

Two could play that game, she thought and she decided to give her undivided attention to the human boy in front of her. Dead boy wasn't even worth the effort. The next half hour she was as attentive as she could be to Si Won, who seemed to be enjoying himself as well.

She couldn't resist looking in Yi Jeong's direction every once in a while however. He looked great in his black shirt and dark jeans. She hadn't seen him sporting the casual look often, but she thought it suited him just as well as the suits did.

_Bad thoughts Ga Eul, bad thoughts!_ And she gave herself a slap on her forehead.

"What was that for?" Si Won asked, confused.

"Ah, I think I've been drinking a bit too much. I have to go to the restroom for a moment, ok?"

The drinking too much part hadn't been a lie. She was having trouble walking a straight line to the restroom. When she finally arrived she splashed a bit of cold water on her face. To find her peace she closed her eyes for a moment and concentrated on her breathing.

"_Just ignore that bastard__. He's nothing but trouble."_

"Yeah, I know, but why is it so hard to ignore him?" Ga Eul replied.

"_Boys are like__ that: complete jerks! Want me to teach him a lesson for you?"_

"No it's alright, I can handle this myself. If I can't be strong now, then when will I ever be?"

"_Ga Eul-ah, you're doing well. Just resist the temptation__. Don't let him get to you."_

"I won't. Don't worry." And with her head up high she left the restrooms.

Only to be dragged off by some strong hand a nanosecond later.

One day earlier

"I did it! I got a hold of her cell phone. I pretended that I had to make an urgent call to my sickly mother and..and.." Secretary Kim excitedly told his boss over the phone.

"Yeah, I don't care. Did you find anything in her message log?"

"Well, they are meeting in some coffee shop tomorrow at noon."

"Make sure you go there as well and find out what they are up to." Yi Jeong ordered.

"Should I wear a disguise? Or put a tracker on her clothing? Because I still have a few things I needed for my old job."

"I don't care if you wear a fucking cloak of invisibility, just follow them and call me with updates. Well, after I wake up that is." And with that, he hung up.

That's how he came to find out the location of the date _his_ human was having. It hadn't taken much effort to call up one of the fangbanger girls to accompany him just to see her reaction. And it worked. He noticed that she kept looking at him and he just smirked in return.

Of course he knew how pathetic he was acting at the moment, but he couldn't help himself. His urge to see her had taken over and so he found himself acting completely out of character, just for this one human girl. He had dumped her, verbally tortured her and even contemplated killing her, but in the end she was still here, alive and ready to be taken by him.

When she headed for the restroom, he excused himself and followed her, waiting outside and pulling her by her arm to a conveniently placed broom closet.

The closet was cramped and it was hard to move. Yi Jeong switched on the light. Ga Eul was scowling at him, though there was also a hint of fear to be discriminated in those large eyes of hers. Yi Jeong smiled as he stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. Angry, she slapped his hand away.

"Sunbae, aren't you being a bit too much now?" She hissed while trying to open the door. He kept her in place with ease. Those were the advantages of being a vampire.

"Is this being too much? When exactly is one exactly 'being too much'? It's quite subjective isn't it?" He asked softly as he played with a strand of her hair.

"Don't play word games with me and just let me go." She retorted as she struggled to get loose.

"Ga Eul-yang, isn't it time for us to reconcile?"

"Shirhoyo (I don't want to)." She snapped.

"I know that maybe I said some things that might have been taken out of context." Yi Jeong said casually. Ga Eul rolled her eyes and let out a snort of disbelief.

"Sunbae, I've had enough of your mind games. Now I need to go back to my table."

"To your date?" He offered.

"Y..y..yeah.. my date." Why was she stuttering? The least she could do was act resolved and hope that he'd never bother her again.

"I heard he's part of a 13 member boyband." He said and added another sneer. "Good job Ga Eul-yang, you hooked a big one. On the other hand, he's not your first celebrity, now is he?"

"Are you calling yourself a celebrity? Because here I was thinking you were just a jerk. And a dead one at that." She scoffed.

"I think we need to close that big mouth of yours." Yi Jeong threatened her, his cold eyes twinkling viciously.

"Are you going to force yourself on me again?" Ga Eul retorted. The alcohol was giving her all the Dutch courage she needed to stand up to him.

"I was thinking about it. Why, you don't want me to?" His hands moved to her waist and slowly he started to fondle her sides. Ga Eul felt the goose bumps on her skin and the arousal between her legs form.

"I think you should try it on _your_ date instead." She tried to say with a steady voice, but she found herself shaking a bit against her will.

"Are you jealous?" He asked while cocking an eyebrow.

"Are _you_ jealous?" She repeated after him. His fingers slowly moved up to the sides of her breasts and then went back down.

"Why are you so annoying?" He asked, sounding a bit agitated.

"Because you are keeping me in this closet against my will!" She started to raise her voice.

"So you want me to let you go?"

"Yes." Finally, he opened the door for her and Ga Eul hurried out. Somehow, she couldn't seem to move further away from him and turned around again with a frustrated expression on her face.

"Can't get away from me huh?" Yi Jeong knew she wanted him as badly as he wanted her.

Ga Eul smiled sweetly as her hand reached for the knob of the closet door and threw it shut with a bang, leaving Yi Jeong inside.


	15. Forgotten

With a straight back, Ga Eul walked back to her table, proud she had acted so strong. She could definitely do without a man, no vampire like him. She smiled at Si Won. Suddenly, a hand brushed against her back and then a dark figure passed her. It was Yi Jeong.

She frowned, but decided to ignore him for the rest of the night. He too seemed to have given up provoking her, save for a few obnoxious smirks he threw her way every now and then. Was it weird that she felt a bit disappointed that he didn't approach her anymore? She must have been crazy, to actually want more of his torture. She hoped they would leave soon so all the confusing thoughts would stop. At 11PM Si Won offered to take Ga Eul home, which she gladly accepted.

Yi Jeong, who had been listening in on their conversation for most of the time, contemplated his next step. Part of him was really angry with the way she had treated him. If he wanted to, he could get back at her. Screw her up nice and good. He wanted to, but he decided against it. This night had only made him more pathetic.

Though she had embarrassed him, it was nothing compared to the way he had shamed himself. For a human girl he was acting like a hungry puppy.

As if to compensate for his weak behavior, he took the girl he had invited (actually, a girl who didn't even know he was a vampire, how naïve was that?) and sucked just enough of her blood for her to sink to the pavement. He pulled up her chin and peered into her watery eyes. She smiled meekly, not quite sure what had just happened.

What exactly he said, she couldn't quite grasp as a thick fog seemed to form in her mind, reshaping the events of the night. His voice was warm , like a blanket. When he was done, she fell asleep on the pavement while the dark figure left her there.

Yi Jeong went back to his apartment, not feeling like meeting up with his fellow vampires. There he sat in complete silence and darkness, over thinking these last few months. The taste of that girl's blood still lingered in his mouth. He had made an effort of swallowing it all and not to spit one drop out. It still didn't taste like it used to.

Just what exactly was wrong with him?

She had changed him. Whether it was her blood, her body or her mind. She had caused the long forgotten clockwork of longing inside him to work again. The clock was ticking now, loud and clear. He had fought it, but it didn't seem to work. Maybe, he should just go with the flow. Would he feel better then?

He wanted to feel better. He had been bored for so long, as everything seemed the same to him. Vampiric existence, a subject so many books had been written about, was as dull as an old blade. Now that it was sharp again, wasn't it appropriate to go out to battle again? To conquer the palace that was in front of him?

It was unavoidable. Ga Eul was that palace.

He called secretary Kim.

"Yeah, I need you to find out the address of one Choi Si Won. Yeah, one of those prancing idol boys." He added spitefully.

xxx

"Oppa, why don't you want to come with me?"

"Because I simply don't have time." Yi Jeong answered and he took another sip of his blood spiked Screwdriver.

"You know my parties are always hot. I cater to the best and always offer premium blood. You know that."

"Ga In, as tempting as that sounds, I'm going to have to decline. You see, I'm going to be busy for a while. I would love to give in and take you up on your offer, but I can't." He stroked her arm and gave her an apologetic face, but she just returned it with a skeptical look that soon turned into disappointment.

"I bet you would come if I offered some virgins." She pouted.

"It would definitely make it harder to resist." He admitted, smiling.

"Then I'll find you some. It's not that hard. I have some connections with the head of an all girl catholic school."

"You don't have to do that." After all, he had had his share of catholic school girls already. It wasn't _that_ tempting.

"You won't even come for that? Is it because you only want one girl? The one that worked for you?"

Yi Jeong didn't answer, but Ga In read his expression and as a consequence, her frown got deeper.

" Hmm, that's strange. I thought you were done with her already."

"Ga In, it's really none of your business, is it?" He replied with a slight annoyance.

"It isn't, but it bothers me anyway."

"If you'll excuse me, I'm meeting with Woo Bin. We'll talk soon, okay?" Ga In nodded as Yi Jeong excused himself.

When he had left the bar where they had been sitting, Ga In remained, twirling the cosmopolitan she had ordered in the martini glass.

It didn't sit well with her. She had known Yi Jeong for over 50 years and they had spent many evenings together. Though they were never an item, Ga In felt something that could be described as attachment to him.

He was handsome, smart, charming and most of all stable. A stable vampire was someone who knew what kind of creature it was. That kind of vampire would not feel remorse or sympathy for humans, only eat rabbits, be depressed, suicidal, or even worse, fall in love with a human. He had been stable, but now she noticed a change in him. She had heard bits and pieces from Woo Bin as well, who had been complaining about the lack of time his friend was having for him. It wasn't hard to figure out Yi Jeong had been fixated on a girl lately, and more specifically, the one she herself had met at the premiere of Yi Jeong's MV.

This couldn't go on like that. She would have to take care of the matter, before it would get out of hand. Eventually Yi Jeong would be grateful to her and then perhaps they could take the next step and roam his world together..forever.

But in order for that to become reality, a little game needed to played. With Ga In deciding the rules.

xxx

Another day on the set had begun. It was misty and the spirits of most of the cast and crew were a bit down.

The hours of sleep Ga Eul had began to decline, though she didn't have it as bad as the main cast. A lot of her scenes were during night time, however, and so her daily cycle had taken a direct hit.

She yawned once, and then again, since stifling them didn't help.

In a week, they would head out to North Jeolla to film in the mountains. She hoped she could make some time free to head over to Iksan and go to the police station and the inn that Jan Di and her fellow students had stayed in.

Choi Si Won walked past her, but gave a small nod as she looked up at him. She decided to follow him.

"Si Won sunbae." She said when she was certain nobody else was around.

"What's up, Ga Eul-sshi?"

"I wanted to thank you again for last weekend. I had a good time." She wondered if this was a new start. Sure, it would be hard, dating other guys, but it was better than to dwell on the past. If she was going to keep her posthumous promise to Jan Di, she would have to start now. The sooner the better.

"Last weekend? What did I do?" He cocked an eyebrow.

"Uhm.. you know, the favor you asked me to." She reminded him.

"Not really. Did I ask you a favor?"

"I..err.." Ga Eul wondered if he was afraid somebody would overhear their conversation and that was why he was playing stupid. "Never mind then. I guess you have a scene to shoot then."

"Ok. See you later!" He said cheerfully and left. Ga Eul scratched her head. Something strange was definitely going on.

"Yah, Chu Ga Eul. Why were you talking with the Adonis?" Her colleague Eun Joo had popped up from behind her.

"Oh, I was just asking him where our next shot would be, because I forgot." She explained, still startled.

"Hmmm.. If you say so. Look, I don't want to sound like a possessive bitch or anything, but I can't stand girls prancing around Si Won. It just makes me go wild you know?" A disturbing gleam was in Eun Joo's eyes.

"I..I guess." Ga Eul answered, thinking this girl might be more mentally unstable than she had first considered.

"I'm the kind of girl that devotes all her time to the guy she likes. I was the president of the fan club for the kingka at my old high school, you know."

"Impressive." Ga Eul said, forcing a smile.

" Hmm, maybe I haven't grown up that much after all, right?"

"It's only natural to be loyal to the guy you like, I guess." Ga Eul said, reassuring.

"I know, right? Were you ever in a fan club?" Eun Joo continued.

"Not really, no. I went to an all-girl school."

"Then, is there a boy you like, right now?" With the unspoken sentence, "except for my Si Won, that is", added with her eyes.

"Yes.. I mean no." She corrected herself.

"Which one is it? Yes or no?"

"Well, he's not a boy. And I don't like him either." She explained quickly, though Eun Joo didn't buy it.

"Still living in Denial Land, I see."

_Emotion Suppression Land, more like_, Ga Eul thought.

"Yeah, oh look at the time. I have to go to make up. See you!" She lied in order to get away from Eun Joo's inquisitive eyes.

"See you later!"

Ga Eul sighed a breath of relief. Why were there so many crazy smitten girls in this world? First at her old job and now here? Would she ever be able to like a boy without ending on some person's wanted list? It would probably be best to avoid idols from now on. They were trouble anyway.

Her date with Si Won was a onetime event. And, apparently Si Won didn't even remember it anyway. Wasn't he a bit young for dementia though? Or maybe, he was a secret alcoholic and was now suffering from Korsakoff Syndrome?

Ah, who cared! Maybe she should avoid dating any man for a while after all. She had more important things to worry about anyway.

xxx

Long cream colored candles lit the small room where Yi Jeong was reading The Unbearable Lightness of Being. It had been a while since he had picked it up and still he found the story less compelling than the title that had initially sucked him in. Still, it made him think. If people only had one life to lead, then was he now still in a continuation of the life he used to live before he died? Or was this something else entirely? He groaned and threw the book into a corner.

"So Yi Jeong, are you turning into an existentialist now? " He reprimanded himself. A laugh came from the door opening. It was Woo Bin, who looked at him with mild amusement.

"What's eating you?" He asked as she came into the small study.

"Nothing. I'm on top of the food chain." He retorted.

"Ah, such quick wit, bro."

"Yes, at least I'll always have that."Yi Jeong said dryly. "Why are you here anyway?"

"Hmm, Ga in's having another party. The other Brown Eyed Girls are coming as well." Woo Bin loved his Brown Eyed Girls.

"I'm busy."

"She told me to tell you that she would bring the incentive you need. Whatever that means."

"Incentive huh?" He looked up. That could only mean one thing, Yi Jeong knew. It immediately sparked his interest. "Where is this party?"

"I don't know man.. she refused to tell me unless you would come along for sure, so you will have to call Ga In. Ah fuck I need to go.. call me when you find out, okay?" Woo Bin left again.

Yi Jeong dialed Ga In's number and waited for her to pick up.

"Oh, wow, what an honor to have you call me." Ga In answered sarcastically.

"Cut the nonsense, where is this party at?"

"Last time you rejected me, and quite harshly at that. What makes you want to come now?"

Yi Jeong decided it was best not to answer that one.

"I already know anyway. The party is at the old depot where we used to hang out. But if you want your incentive, you need to go somewhere first."

"And where would that be?" Yi Jeong asked. This situation was a bit suspicious to say the least.

"The Seoul University Pathology Department."

xxx

Whenever Ga Eul stepped out of the bus, she would feel empty. Empty, because the streets were already abandoned at this time of the night and empty because at least in the bus she could just stare outside the window and let the flashing city fill her thoughts. Being alone here reminded her just how little people she had to rely on. Maybe she should move back in with her aunt, but the new husband probably wouldn't approve.

She walked through the darkened streets. Every little sound was intensified because the surrounding silence and soon a pair of heels caught Ga Eul's attention. First, she didn't think anything of it, but soon she realized the person was walking in exactly the same pace as her. She stopped to listen, and immediately, the sounds disappeared.

Her heart was pounding like a maniac, but she decided to continue walking with the same speed as before. Right away, the sound of clicking heels continued. Ga Eul stopped again and turned around. A black silhouette was standing at the other side of the street.

It was too far to see the face, but Ga Eul was sure it was a woman. She blinked once, only to find the figure had disappeared. Was she just imagining things? It was dark after all and she had had a long day working. Streets this time of night were filled with all sorts of ambiguous shadows and sounds.

She resumed walking. There was no more sound of following footsteps.

"Great, Ga Eul, now you're going crazy as well." She softly slapped her own forehead.

"I wouldn't say that." A voice said.

With a start, Ga Eul looked to her left side, and sure enough was a woman smiling at her while leaning against the wall.

A woman that looked remarkably like Ga In from the Brown Eyed Girls.

"Oraenmanida [it's been a while]." Ga Eul raised her eyebrows. She had never met this woman before, she was sure. How could she ever forget a woman that looked exactly like an idol?

"I don't think we ever met.." Ga Eul said hesitantly.

"Ah right." The woman flicked away her cigarette and made a few steps towards Ga Eul, who felt more apprehensive with each passing second. "I think I looked different then."

When they were face to face, Ga Eul could clearly distinguish the watery and bloodshot eyes and the abnormally white skin. Could it be that this woman was a vampire? On second thought, that was a given, right? How else could she have gone from the end of the street to here in only a matter of seconds?

"You don't remember going to one of my parties before?"

"Party?" Ga Eul asked, puzzled.

"Yes, though you left pretty quickly."

Only one party came to mind. The vampires who had been talking with Yi Jeong sunbae outside? Was it the same person? But she did look entirely different.

"But, how?" Ga Eul stammered.

"Yeah, I might have fiddled with your perception a little. Don't want to be recognized by passersby's you know?"

"Does that mean.."

"I'm Son Ga In. Pangabda (nice to meet you)."

"As in.." her eyes widened at the realization. This wasn't just a lookalike. This might be the real deal, unless she was being deceived again of course. "But how do I know I'm not being fooled again?"

"You don't, but that doesn't matter at the moment. I need you to come with me."

"I'm sorry, I've had a long day. Can we..um meet another day? Night?" She sort of knew asking this would be pointless. Ga In moved in even closer, as she peered deeply into the young girl's eyes.

"I'm afraid it will have to be today. You won't mind coming along with me, now will you?" Within an instant Ga Eul felt like she was soaring through the universe. It wasn't the first time she felt like this.

"No..not at all." Ga Eul said after a pause, smiling softly. Her mind was in a muddle and the only thing that came through was the soothing voice of that woman, Ga In.

xxx

Complete darkness. If not for the sound of drops clashing against a metal basin, Ga Eul would have thought she had fallen into a black hole.

How had she ended up in this situation? The last thing she remembered was walking down the street and then everything just turned blank.

Afraid to take a step in any direction, she just stood frozen on her spot. Out of the blue there was a loud bang, with the sound of glass breaking and metal containers hitting the hard floor.

Panic struck Ga Eul like a tidal wave and finally the feeling returned to her limbs.

"Who's there?" She asked with a wavering voice. "Who are you?"

There was no reply. Ga Eul took a few steps but immediately hit some kind of table. Tears formed in her eyes as she became more desperate.

"Why are you doing this to me?"

A bright light went on. Ga Eul closed her eyes as a reflex and it took a while to adjust to the harsh light. She looked around. She was alone in a room that looked a lot like a surgery room, with sterile white walls and green tiling. There was a large metal table in the middle and the thing that had just been overthrown was a metal cart with all sorts of tools and bottles on them. Worst of all, there was a window to another room that was dimmer than the one she was in. She could see it was empty.

Ga Eul rubbed her arms, feeling cold. That's when she realized she wasn't wearing her own clothing anymore, but a white sleeveless dress that reached her knees.

"What the..?" She blurted. "What's going on here?" She ran to the door, but it was locked.

She turned around again, facing the big window. On the other side a door opened and a person entered the room.

Ga Eul's eyes widened as she recognized the person.

"Sunbae?" She uttered.

xxx

Yi Jeong parked his car on the empty parking lot. The place was abandoned entirely, but one light at the front entrance was on. Ga In was playing some kind of game, he knew, but he couldn't help feeling curious. At least he was temporarily freed from his boredom. Was the incentive really what he thought it was? She was probably just toying with him.

He entered the building according to her directions and followed the hallway to guest room number 4. The door opened easily, but there was nothing to be seen after he turned on the lights. Only a note lay on one of the tables. He picked it up and unfolded it.

**Autopsy** **time**, it read.

Smirking, he crumbled the paper and threw it in the waste basket.

She was really making an effort with this little search game. He looked on the signboard to find out the location of the autopsy rooms.

It was awfully quiet in this place, but he knew there were people here. He could hear the heartbeats of more than one person. One specifically though, was beating a lot louder and faster than the others. Could it be?

He pulled the handle of the door to the first autopsy room, but it didn't budge. Neither did the second one. He continued walking until he stood in front of the third and final autopsy room.

The last door opened with ease and he entered a small dimly lit room. There was a large window, overlooking the actual examination room and there she was. Dressed in white and with a panicked expression, she just stared at him. Her lips formed the word "sunbae" and a little cloud followed from the cold. She must be cold as she was wearing only a summer dress when it was dead winter.

A mix of excitement and concern grew within him. Seeing his Ga Eul made him feel, warm, in a way. On the other hand, what kind of game was Ga In playing?

He walked over to the window to take a better look. Ga Eul's brow furrowed and she started yelling at him.

"You did this to me, didn't you? I should've known."

"Believe me. It wasn't me." He said.

"I hate you. I'll hate you forever." She said, her chest rising and falling with each angry breath, her eyes boring into his.

"Don't lie. Ga Eul-yang isn't the resentful type, anyway."

"Just tell me what you want and let me go, alright?" She asked furiously.

"Sorry, I don't have the power to end this game."

A dark figure appeared from behind one of the large cabinets. He slowly approached Ga Eul, who was too busy screaming at Yi Jeong to notice. Yi Jeong's smirk fell. What was that guy planning?

Amusement turned into worry.

"Ga Eul-yang, behind you." He warned, but she didn't hear him. Instead, the guy grabbed her from behind.

"Oh fuck!"Yi Jeong exclaimed and he quickly ran out of the room. When he reached the other door, he found it locked. Using his power, he grabbed the handle and forced it open.

As soon as he came in, a bunch of human men attacked him from behind. Though he had heard them coming, his first priority had been Ga Eul. He evaded their punches and sent one flying back to the hallway.

"You really think you can stop me?" Something hit him in the face and he cringed in pain. Somebody had thrown something silver on him.

"Sunbae!" Ga Eul yelled in a reflex. Seeing him being attacked probably meant he wasn't the one doing this. That was also what her gut told her. She tried to free herself from the guy's grip, but he was much stronger than her.

Yi Jeong stood up, and flung away the thick silver chain like it was some kind of dirty bug.

"That's it. I'm done with this."

"But we're not done yet. Not before we kill this vampire banging whore." The man holding Ga Eul spat.

"Who are you losers anyway?"

"We're a vampires worst nightmare." That probably meant they were vampire hunters. There were several underground organizations that wanted nothing more to rid the world of all things undead.

"Wow, I'm supposed to be afraid now, right?"

"You should be." The man said with a menacing voice, but Yi Jeong wasn't impressed.

"And why exactly did Ga In hire you?" Ga Eul tilted her head. Why was that name so familiar to her?

"Who's that? Our boss gave me the assignment to take you out."

"Yeah right, fucking glamoring bitch. Wait till I get you for this." Yi Jeong muttered. "Ok, fun's over. Now let her go."

"Nah." He simply said.

Sick of this game, Yi Jeong started fighting the other men, with relative ease. He ducked every time somebody tried to hit him with silver knuckle rings, but couldn't avoid getting hit a few times.

The man holding Ga Eul sighed a few times as he observed his men getting beaten down.

"Ok, I'm getting bored." He grabbed something from his pocket. Yi Jeong noticed a glimpse of the shining surface the guy was holding and quickly threw off one of his assailers. He ran towards Ga Eul.

He was too late though, as the guy had already raised the blade and stabbed her by the time Yi Jeong had reached her.

Blood poured out of her side as Ga Eul looked at the wound on her body and then at her bloody hand. Surprised, she looked at Yi Jeong and their eyes met. The horrified look on his face said everything.

He did care for her, she now knew.

It was a strange sensation as all the sound was being blurred out and all that she heard was the throbbing of the veins in her head. Though she felt the pain, it almost felt as if it had happened to somebody else's body instead of her own. The man finally let her go and she dropped on her floor in a daze.

Yi Jeong approached the man who had a conceited smirk plastered on his face now and with a few swift moves he grabbed him tightly and snapped his neck.

The body fell next to where Ga Eul was sitting and bleeding. Yi Jeong kneeled down next to her.

"Sunbae. What is going on here? I don't understand any of this." She whispered.

"I'm..I'm so so sorry." Yi Jeong stammered as he held her close to him. He had been the biggest fool.

"Yeah, me too. " She closed her eyes.

"No, wait." Yi Jeong searched the floor for the knife, but then a big blow hit the back of his head.

He was knocked unconscious.

xxx

Yi Jeong opened his eyes. He was in another room than he had been before.

"Had a nice sleep?" A female voice said, her figure obscured by darkness.

"Ga In, don't you think you've taken this a bit too far?" He said, rubbing his sore head. Even vampires took some time to heal.

"This is the last round, I promise. If you want to have the girl, you'll have to find her. Gotta warn you though. She's about to blow her last breath." With a sneering laugh, she left the room. Yi Jeong stood up. If she was here, then he could find her through her heart beat. Trouble was though, that there seemed to be more humans in this room, making it difficult for him to distinguish hers.

He fumbled around in the dark until he found the walls and looked around for a light switch. When it was switched on he could see it would be a hard task. The room was filled with closed coffins, there were at least a hundred of them.

Quickly, he started pulling off the lids, but most of them were empty. The ones that were filled, were wounded men. He recognized them as the guys that had attacked him earlier.

Ga In was really playing some messed up game.

He tried to concentrate again, this time on her scent. The first thing that had drawn him to her.

Following his nose he finally chose one of the black coffins on the far left side. He opened the wooden lid and found Ga Eul there, barely alive.

"Ga Eul-yang." He mumbled as he pulled her up. Her head bobbed up and down as he gently shook her. He lay her down again on the ivory satin pillow. Her once white dress was now smudged with dark brown stains. How could she have managed to live so long while losing so much blood?

Realizing he didn't have much time, he rolled up his sleeve and put the cold skin of his arms against his lips. He bit through his own flesh and blood came pouring from the damaged veins.

He held Ga Eul up again and put his bloody wrist against her mouth.

"Drink it." He ordered the unconscious girl. "If you want to live, drink it."

She must have heard him somehow, because her lips started to move. Slowly, her mouth opened and drops of Yi Jeong's blood fell on her tongue.

The taste left a burning sensation in her mouth. There was a similarity with regular blood, but somehow it tasted quite different. Ga Eul started sucking and sucking, her hands slowly moving up to keep Yi Jeong's arm in place.

Whatever it was that she was drinking, she wanted more of it. Soon, a feeling of ecstasy burned in her stomach, spreading to all her limbs. She was revived after being only inches away from death.

Ga Eul opened her eyes, as if for the first time ever. Yi Jeong was looking at her, with a weak smile on his face as he pulled away his arm. She looked at his face and then his wrist, which was now slowly healing.

She touched the fluid on her lips and looked at her fingers. It was a deep red.

"Did I.. drink?"She asked breathlessly. Yi Jeong nodded. "Does that mean I'm a vampire now?"

"No. You need a different kind of ritual for that." He said matter-of-factly.

"Oh." Ga Eul looked at her dress. The knife wound was now fully closed and it seemed the amount of blood she had lost now was been restored as well, though she still felt weak. Yi Jeong took off his coat and hung it over Ga Eul's frail shoulders. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

"I'm not really sure."

"I see." She said, pouting a little. She would have to wait forever for a confession.

"Maybe it's because you're my human. I just know I can't give you up."

Yi Jeong bent over and kissed her, softly on her lips. Automatically she responded and her hand moved to his cheek. He didn't know the hand of a human could be so cold. All the suppressed emotions were flowing out of him uncontrollably and all he could do was surrender to the feeling. He let his tongue slip in her waiting mouth and he could still taste his own blood. They were one now, since they had drank from one another.

Ga Eul pulled away, her face wet from crying.

"Sunbae, I'm scared. I don't understand what has happened tonight."

He just looked at her as she wiped away the tears.

"You want me to explain it?" He asked hesitantly. Ga Eul bit her lip, showing she was having a hard time deciding.

"No. I'm not sure I can take it." She hesitated asking the next part. "Instead, can you make me forget this night?"

"What?" He wondered what she was on about.

"I know you can do that, right? Make me forget? Please, make me forget this night." Yi Jeong looked away, his head was in turmoil.

_I don't want you to forget. I can't be with you if you forget._

"I need to be strong. I can't carry on if I'm scared every night. Please help me, sunbae." She said, pleading. Yi Jeong looked into her eyes. She was so desperate, but why? What had happened to her? And how could he do that? Not when he had just realized what he felt for her. Not after what he had just said.

Ji Hoo had been right all along.

You never know when it will hit.


	16. A Day in the Sun

A/N: Here's the next chap for you to read and hopefully enjoy. I hope you'll also will take some time to send a comment my way. I'd really appreciate that!

XXX

Ga Eul crawled out of the coffin, feeling strangely revived. She looked down and found she had nothing on. Quickly, she covered her private parts, though he had already seen everything. He gave her a furtive smile as she glanced at him.

"Did you do this to me?" She said accusingly.

"Consider yourself reborn from now on." He replied with a smirk.

"Sunbae? What are you saying?" It occurred to her that he had never answered her straightforwardly. How could any person be so cryptic?

"Now all that waits is an initiation." And with that he slowly strutted over to her side. Ga Eul took a few steps back. He grabbed her arm and jerked her to him. His passionate kissing rapidly made her forget all her earlier doubts. Nobody affected her like he did. Eagerly, she opened her mouth to let him in as his hands ventured to explore her creamy skin. Goosebumps formed on the places where he touched her.

With one smooth movement he lifted her up and placed her back into the mahogany coffin. With shaking hands she watched his every move. He took no time and removed his leather jacket, prim white shirt, leather shoes and his black slacks.

With ease he climbed on top of Ga Eul and continued his zealous kissing. Ga Eul flung her arms around him, her slit getting wetter every time his member brushed against her thighs and tummy. He was so hard that he could probably smash stones with it.

They switched positions and Ga Eul found herself on top. No longer able to wait, she mounted him. It hurt, just like the first time, but as she took the reins of the movements, she was able to keep the pain to a minimum. He let her ride him, enjoying the sight of her small breasts bouncing slightly and feeling her nails digging into his washboard abs.

Ga Eul threw her head back, her moans getting louder with each friction of her pelvis against his. His hands kneaded breasts and he took the tips between is fingers and softly pinched as his other hand stimulated her clit. As he drew circles against her sensitive nub she felt bolts of pleasure run through her body, starting from her center to each brain cell involved in the process of love making. Because that's what this was, right?

"Sunbae.." She whimpered. "Saranghaeyo. [I love you]" She kept repeating it until she climaxed. He only smiled while concentrating on his own pending orgasm.

"I.. you.." He stammered, drops of sweat culminating on his usually clear forehead. For a moment, he seemed and felt like a human being. Warm, just like her.

Then, with a loud slam, the coffin lid closed down on them.

Ga Eul opened her eyes. A beam of light temporarily blinded her left retina. Where was she? It took her a few seconds, but then she recognized the familiar scent of the sheets and the soft colors of her own bedroom. She sat up with a start. How could that be? Hadn't she just been with..? They had been very, very busy. She looked around, but there was nobody there.

It had just been a dream. A realistic one, but a dream nonetheless. She pulled up her sheets and looked at her body. Like always, she was wearing her normal pajamas. Her panties, however, felt slick with her own juices.

It really had been one hell of a dream.

When she got out of bed, she felt a bit strange. Lightheaded, but also very clear minded. She was a morning person usually, but she had never felt this energized before. Her bones however, were aching a bit. What had she been doing last night? Nothing special, she remembered.

She wandered through her own living room and unconsciously opened the drawer. There lay the velvet box. Tentatively, she picked it up and opened it. The ear rings sparkled and Ga Eul couldn't help but to touch them longingly. She wanted to put them in, but she knew she shouldn't. Quickly, she closed the box again, put it in the drawer and walked away. It was time to go to work again.

The rest of the day continued to be a bit strange. Colors suddenly seemed much brighter and she could swear she could hear more than she usually could. It felt like all her senses were on edge.

The whole day went by in a blur. From the corner of her eye Ga Eul could swear colorful flowers were sprouting, but every time she turned her head, everything was still grey. It was winter after all. What had happened to her? Nothing right? And yet, something was off, though she couldn't explain it.

As the days went by, the strange sensations wore off, but one thing remained. Every night she dreamt of the person she had forbidden herself from ever seeing again. And they weren't your average dreams. They were dark, intense and even more, so explicitly sexual that even recalling little details made her blush furiously, which cause a problem for her on set. In all her life she had never experienced anything like it. Sure, she had had sex dreams before, but they were child play compared to this.

Finally the week had passed and a part of the cast and crew headed for the North Jeolla first shooting site, which was in Namwon. It had taken an agonizingly long bus trip from Seoul to get there and Ga Eul was absolutely knackered upon arriving there.

Si Won, who had arrived there with his own transportation came to sit by her. He smiled as she yawned, before she realized he had joined her. Embarrassed, she covered her mouth with her hand.

"Do you know this town has a connection with the legend of Chun Hyang?" He asked.

"Sure." It was a famous legend after all.

"You know, I did a drama once about Chun Hyang." He added, trying to keep the conversation going.

"I saw that one." Ga Eul said enthusiastically, but then thought of how fan girly she must have looked. "I think." She added softly.

"Ga Eul-sshi, you're so cute!" He said with a wink. Was he flirting with her? Even though he had forgotten (or pretended to have forgotten) their sort of date, he still seemed to be making a move on her. A blush crept over her cheeks as she thought of it, but immediately kept herself in check.

_No time fo__r that, Ga Eul..maybe later._

"I was thinking, perhaps we can check out the legendary locations together?"

"Err, I.. I have to think..err.." She stuttered.

"No problem. Just let me know when you have decided. Maybe later, okay?" And he excused himself to his sleeping quarters.

_Yeah, maybe later._

xxx

The relationship between Goo Joon Pyo and Yoo Ji Hoo had always been a strange one. For one, their personalities couldn't be further apart. Their views on life were completely incompatible as well. So what held them together? Maybe some strange mutual agreement that they would better be off as comrades than enemies? Or perhaps it was a bizarre admiration for one another, for possessing qualities the other obviously did not.

On a night where both Yi Jeong and Woo Bin were absent, Ji Hoo decided to confront Joon Pyo with the thing that had been bugging him for a while now as he examined the perfect red apple in his hand.

"You've been awfully quiet lately." He said casually. Joon Pyo grunted while continuing with his Wii game . "There's something you haven't been telling us, is there?" Ji Hoo carefully monitored Joon Pyo's reactions as he continued to lure him out. "It's very unlike you to keep everything inside. Then again, Woo Bin told me you get drunk every night. Strange thing isn't it, that alcohol can still affect us like that? Is it still about that girl you were obsessed with?"

With a jerk, Joon Pyo turned towards Ji Hoo, causing his digital sports car to crash against the wall.

"I was not obsessed with her!" He yelled, while remaining oblivious as to why Ji Hoo knew this in the first place.

"Really?" Ji Hoo replied skeptically. He knew that over the last 4-5 years there had only been one person on Joon Pyo's mind. The only thing he couldn't quite figure out though, was why. Was it love? Or something else entirely?

"What's your deal anyway, Ji Hoo?" Joon Pyo never bothered with suffixes, even though Ji Hoo was more than 300 years his senior.

"I always wondered what happened in the time where you went from wanting to kill her to stalking her and then to actually killing her." The shock on Joon Pyo's face said everything, but he quickly masked it with anger.

"How did you know?" He asked, squinting.

"I saw it. Everything." Joon Pyo swallowed. If there was one person he could never figure out, it was Ji Hoo. That point was proven yet again today.

"You were there?"

"Yes." And he nodded.

"And so?" Perhaps it would be better to feign indifference, Joon Pyo thought.

"I just wanted to know if there was a reason why you did it." Ji Hoo answered casually.

"What if there isn't?"

"Hmm.. if that's the case then.. I guess there's nothing more to say, right?"

You've been talking too much anyway. I'm going to play again, so don't interrupt again." Joon Pyo snapped and he turned to his game again.

"Alright." Ji Hoo placed the crushed apple on the small table and continued leafing through his book, leaving sticky wet stains on the paper as he read.

xxx

In a time long passed, there once lived a boy. In that world there were only three people he loved. His older brother, gentle, independent and righteous, his childhood friend, a girl who would always stand by him and his mother.

The father enjoyed the company of gisaeng more than that of his wife, but still she seemed to be happy to be his wife, which only made Yi Jeong angrier. Why would she hang on to such a wretch of a man, was beyond him.

And so the young son grew up to be a man from the Yangban [upper class/nobility] class with a passion for pottery. His only dream to spend the rest of his life time with the only woman he had ever loved. Due to his untimely death however, that day never came to see the light.

In retrospect, Yi Jeong knew he had been a foolish person. His whole life had been dedicated to not be like his philandering father, only to end up being the undead version of him. All his good intentions had gone to waste the moment he crawled out of the earth. Sifting through women and leaving them as trash on the streets when he had bled them dry. He was an even worse person than his father.

Now, here he was. Would he be able to abandon his old ways in order to be with that human? There was only one way to find out.

Since the connection was now formed between them, young Ga Eul's whereabouts were now known to him, always. Whenever she felt a strong emotion, he could feel it too. Since this was the first time he had ever let somebody drink his blood, it was a new experience. One he knew he should hate, but found that he couldn't.

Making her forget had probably been the biggest mistake in his life, but for the very first time, a human's begging had gotten to him. He had not been able to refuse her and thus he had looked deeply into her eyes and suggested that she should forget the entire night. He couldn't bring himself to delete her entire memory of him.

It had not been her request either.

That's how he knew it hadn't been about him in the first place. She didn't want to forget him, at least that's what he told himself. There was some heavy burden she was carrying and even though it was very probable that he was contributing to that weight, the primary problem wasn't him. And that, in a way, was a relief to him.

Since the pathology incident, Ga In had gone missing. It was a shame really, since Yi Jeong's fists were itching for some revenge. It was probably for the better, since hitting woman was not something he would take pride in doing.

Now, he found himself driving to the south in the middle of the night. Searching for his palace. Thankfully, there were still a lot of hours of darkness ahead as he sped over the highway. Her presence became stronger with each kilometer he drove. Soon, he'd be able to find her. The only problem was, how could he get her back at his side again?

And well, where could he spend the day safely?

It was the next night when he saw her in Namwon city. She was surprisingly buoyant, as she strolled down the streets with a few of her colleagues. Her ponytail bounced up and down with every step she took. She looked content without him and it stung. If without him she was perfectly fine, then why was he so hungry for her? It hardly seemed fair.

Thankfully, the idol dork wasn't there. Still, he wished he hadn't just erased his memory, but had manipulated his mind in such a way as to keep him away from Ga Eul forever. Well, there was still time for that, he told himself. If that douchebag tried anything, he was dead meat anyway.

As he was too hung up in his vengeful plans for a certain clueless idol, Ga Eul inadvertently dropped her bag. When she looked up a familiar figure seemed to have appeared somewhere near her blind spot. Unable to control the automatic movement, she looked sideways.

There he was, looking in her direction, but not quite at her. He seemed to be swallowed up in his own thoughts.

"Impossible.." She said under her breath. Finally, their eyes met. For a while she struggled with the dilemma. Should she approach him or not? The best thing, of course, was to ignore him and just continue walking. If only things were so easy. Eventually, against better judgment, she crossed the street.

Ga Eul had decided to give him another piece of her mind. Yes, that was the reason. Not the fact that the mere sight of him caused her to feel like a dog in heat. As much as she liked him before, this sensation was certainly new. She decided to disregard her body however and intended to cross examine him.

"Sunbae, what are you doing here?"

"Sightseeing." He said, acting innocent.

"Are you..stalking me?" Ga Eul said while glowering at him.

"What kind of person do you think I am?"

"You're not a person." She shot back at him. "Really, this is just too coincidental. First at that wine bar and now here."

"Well, it may or may not be statistically infeasible, but it's not impossible." Yi Jeong said, barely able to constrain a smile. Even arguing with her was better than anything else.

"Hmph." She groaned. Why wouldn't he just admit he was here for her? What was even more worrisome, was that she still wanted him to confess his.. undying love to her.

"Wanna get out of here?" He suggested as the conversation seemed to have died. Ga Eul found herself staring at his mouth. For once, the fangs were invisible. He almost looked human now. If she didn't know any better, that was.

"Why would I want to do that?" She knew her colleagues were watching this scene, so how could she just take off with him. Yi Jeong felt there was no time to lose though. He grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her away.

"Let's go, I'll treat you to something nice." He suggested.

"Yah!" She struggled against his grip.

"Mind the language, will you. I'm your senior by at least two centuries. That should mean something, right?"

Fifteen minutes later they sat across each other in a bulgogi restaurant. The meat gently sizzled on the grill, but neither of them ate. Instead, Yi Jeong just looked at her with a smile on his face. Somehow it looked more genuine than the smirks he usually gave her and it made her feel very uncomfortable.

"The meat's burning." He said, without looking away. She ignored him, took a spoonful of rice from her bowl and then put it back. "You're not hungry?"

"No." Was her short reply.

"Why?"

"Seeing you made me lose my appetite." She snapped.

"How rude. Ga Eul-yang, are you playing hard to get? I don't think it suits you."

"You don't know what suits me anyway."

"I know being this hostile isn't like you." He answered straightforwardly. "Though your angry face is kind of cute."

Unable to control it, Ga Eul's cheeks reddened at the compliment.

_Yah, Ga Eul, control yourself!_ A voice in her head spoke. To hide her discomfort, she picked a piece of meat from the grill, wrapped it in a leaf of lettuce and stuffed her mouth with it.

Yi Jeong observed her as she chewed her food. With a swift movement, he placed his cold hand on hers. Surprised, she dropped her chopsticks as she stared at his face, with had turned solemn.

_He cares about me._ It felt like a thought she had had before. But how? He had never shown true care for her. The only answer was: he was playing mind tricks with her.

"Sunbae, are you toying with me again?"

"No." He replied severely.

"What do you want from me?"

"I want you to be with me." Even he was surprised at the ease at which these words had escaped his mouth. It was a bit scary.

"Seolma [Surely..not].." She was taken aback by his honesty and felt herself unable to come up with a witty reply. Instead she just stood up. "I'm really not up for another round of 'torture me until I lose all sanity', so don't bother me anymore with things like these."

Quickly, she ran out of the restaurant, but she hadn't even set 5 steps before Yi Jeong stood in front of her again. Damn him and his superhuman speed.

"I want a second chance." He blurted, his face serious for once.

"What?" If he meant a second chance with her, he was sadly mistaken.

"Don't I deserve one? I know I've done a lot of bad things, and there's a big chance I'm going to do those things again in the future. After centuries of doing whatever I wanted, it would be hard to live according to the rules of humanity again. Even so, if I'm willing to try now, then shouldn't I get a second chance?"

"At what?" She repeated.

"Living." Yi Jeong looked up at the sky. A few stars glittered in the distance.

"But, you're dead." She uttered disbelievingly. "There's no way you can live again, is there?"

"I'm still here, aren't I? I'm not breathing, but I'm still capable of doing things most people can. Why can't I live anymore? It's not really fair to say I'm dead, wouldn't you say? When I'm still standing here in front of you?"

"And what does that have to do with me?"

"Well, since I'm a vampire, I'm not really able to go out in the daytime anymore, of course. Any proper human should have its share of sunlight, but well.. I can't. Maybe, I thought, as long as you're with me, I won't need that sun after all." Did that mean, he saw her as his replacement sun?

"Are you serious?" She asked, her eyes squinted.

"Dead serious." He laughed at his own play of words. Ga Eul looked at the pavement. This was certainly a twist of events. To stand here, listening to a confession she had never expected to hear from his mouth, was overwhelming.

She took a few steps forward until they stood only a foot away from each other. Being in his proximity made her feel all sorts of things. Things she wasn't supposed to feel, considering what he had put her through. However, being with him, made her feel like, at least for a moment, there was nothing else in the world mattered. Here, with him, she could forget the pain of losing her parents and her best friend. With him, if only for a moment, she too could feel like a normal human again and not some human who was only sustained by her pain.

The act she had put on, mostly to convince herself she was alright, started to crack. As long as she was kept busy, things were alright. But eventually, when night came, all she could do was cry. Each and every night. It dawned on her just how messed up her life was now.

Tears rolled down her face. As Yi Jeong watched her, mesmerized. He had certainly not expected this kind of reaction. Anger, sure. Happiness, maybe. But sadness. It hadn't crossed his mind at all. And inside him, he felt her sadness as well and it tugged at his dead heart.

Ga Eul looked up at his face, illuminated by the bright streetlights. Would it be bad to be with him? If with him, she could feel a bit less alone, would it be a bad thing to allow him back into her heart? Even if he betrayed her later, was it worth it, just so she could bear these days better? To know he would be waiting in the night. Without realizing it, they were now hugging.

Yi Jeong embraced the warmth that was Ga Eul, taking in a whiff of her scent as she cried in his coat. It was certainly not something he had been able to foresee only a year ago.

The feeling of apathy that had been with him for many decades now, was lifted off his shoulders like a grey sheet. If his heart still worked technically, he was sure it would beat uncontrollably fast now.

"So, care to join me for this night?" Ga Eul looked up at his face, which seemed oddly gentle now. Then it dawned on her.

"Ah!"

"Ah?" he repeated.

"I have to shoot a scene in two hours." There had been a reason why she had been with her colleagues after all. She broke free from their hug. "Mianhaeyo. I have to go now." And she ran off.

Yi Jeong looked at the person that quickly disappeared in the crowd of people. Unknown to him, his fangs had reappeared as he frowned.

_This night isn't over yet._ Because whatever Yi Jeong wanted, he usually got.

xxx

It was a dark December night. Why he had followed Joon Pyo, he didn't exactly know. He had this feeling that something bad was going to happen. What it was, he wasn't so sure about, but his gut had told him to keep an eye on Joon Pyo and so he did.

At first Joon Pyo seemed to wander aimlessly on the streets of a city called Iksan. Ji Hoo had half a mind to just return to Seoul until he saw it.

The young girl, Geum Jan Di was having dinner with her class mates. Ji Hoo watched Joon Pyo as he followed Geum Jan Di's every move. How could he not have known? Four years ago he thought he had prevented Joon Pyo from harming the girl, but seemingly their connection had not ended there. As Jan Di and her class mates came out of the restaurant, Joon Pyo trailed them and Ji Hoo decided to not let them out of his sight either. At least, that's what he intended to.

He had not expected to run into a crowd of vampire-hating teens. By the time he had handled the situation, both Geum Jan Di and Joon Pyo had disappeared. Only hours later he found them again. From behind a tree he watched as Woo Bin dragged a lifeless body over the muddy road after he had checked that there was nobody around. Silently, he went after them as Woo Bin hung some heavy stones on the girl's body and dropped her from the bridge.

Ji Hoo remembered the sound the splash had made. Even now, it haunted him every time he closed his eyes. As soon as Woo Bin had disappeared into the shadows Ji Hoo raced to the bridge. He peered into the water, hoping to find some sign of her. When he failed, he only saw one solution. Quickly, he dove into the murky water. It took him a while to find her body, but when he did he hauled her out of the water and onto the river bank.

He checked her pulse, just to be sure. No, she was really dead. Red drops fell on her face and he realized he was crying. Why hadn't he been able to stop this? Why had it come to this? He was overwhelmed by "whys" and "ifs". All he knew was that this didn't make sense to him, but the feeling inside him was clear as crystal.

Loathing. Unadulterated loathing.

Goo. Joon. Pyo.

He wouldn't let him get away with this.


End file.
